The Lion King 3: Dark Legacy
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: It's high time for another Lion King sequel! Is it possible for all the so-called 'evil' characters to somehow return to take their revenge and influence the lives of Kovu, Kiara and king Simba once again? Can one fully put his dark past behind him? Read and find out!
1. The Old Kings

**AN: So guess what- I'm back. As I have said before, I kind of got addicted to writing these little TLK stories...  
At the very beginning, I have to say one thing- the first chapter of this story is a sample, and I do not know when I am going to continue publishing. First I have to find out how you like this concept, and then maybe when I'll find some time I'll setup a proper plot and keep writing. This is because there are truly dozens of stories like these- fan-made TLK sequels, some of them very good ones. One might say that I have already written 'Not exactly', but that wasn't the same kind of story. 'Dark Legacy' is going to be something that will extend the plot that is taking place in 'Simbas Pride' and will concern Kovu, Kiara and king Simba... and, surprisingly, also the dead villain characters, especially Scar and Zira. How am I going to achieve that? Well, here's the first chapter for your consideration. If you like the concept- please, do tell. If you have any pointers- go right ahead and write me a review. Anything for my respective readers. Who knows, this might just be the beginning of another exciting adventure.  
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**Enjoy! XD**

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**Chapter 1 – The Old Kings**

The Council has called for an assembly.

It is hard for a carnal being to fully comprehend the nature of the spiritual world, so such a scene might be quite hard to imagine since there was indeed no meeting chamber with a round table and stools, no distinctive place among the stars between one constellation and the other. The members themselves were also not exactly what they used to be for the ones that knew them during their life- their bodies had disappeared, fuelling the turn of the Circle of Life, yet there was still something left of them. Something immaterial, containing the very essence of each noble lion that has ever ruled on earth- the spirits of the past, rarely sensible for the less subtle flesh and blood. But nonetheless, somewhere above and nowhere at the same time, as it was not a visible, tangible or material place, they existed. And during this particular time in history the Council of the Great Leonine Kings decided to call for a meeting.

At once they all stood in each other's presence. How many of them were there- no one could tell, yet they stood together according to their succession, son beside father, father beside grandfather. Kings along with their queens, some brighter and some dimmer, still all luminous, misty, ethereal.

An atmosphere of joy was clearly sensible. The Kings might have been residing in a celestial afterlife, but what concerned them most were the matters of their current successors and relatives back on earth. And the vast, ancient lion kingdom of the Pridelands was seemingly about to enter a golden era of peace after a long time of unrest. Simba, it's current ruler, had managed to reunite two parts of a once shattered pride by permitting a most unexpected connection- the betrothal of Kiara, his own daughter, and Kovu, a once sworn enemy and leader of a whole army of outcasts. But even though the process required deep sacrifices on both sides, the two foes were now beloved mates and the ones who were once exiled were welcomed back into their home. Old scars were slowly healing and everything was going in the right direction. The Old Kings decided to do everything they could to keep it like that.

A noble lion stood in front, intending to take the voice. He was ancient even in the standards of animals who lived much longer than the big felines. As cubs, everyone of them had been told legends about him. In afterlife, he was still the leader- first among the leonine rulers. And so he was called- _Kwanza_, the first Lion King.

His words echoed as if spoken from the bottom of all time and were strangely peaceful and powerful together. One would rather feel them inside his heart that actually hear him speak.

_My Brothers… What we are witnessing is like dawn breaking through the night. The lions of the Pridelands are one again- the wicked danger has been crushed by it's own foolishness, peace has triumphed. That fine kingdom, tried in so many ways along time, has found it's safe harbor through the love of it's youth and the prudence of it's leader, who found the right time to fix his past errors. Mufasa!_

Kwanza proudly called out towards one particularly bright lion spirit.

_Your actions occurred to be of much help for your land and are highly commendable. I believe that you will continue to serve the wellbeing of both your son and your granddaughter, and in some time be as content as I will myself in seeing the Pridelands flourish as beautifully as they had during your own reign._

Mufasa humbly bowed his head in affirmation, later sharing a joyful look with his Queen, Sarabi. The ones who surrounded them also observed with happiness. The First King continued.

_I suppose that after dealing with the remnants of the hyena army and reinforced by the rest of the former Outlanders, the lions of the Pridelands may feel safe as such a large pride has probably nothing to fear. The old enemies seem to have all been defeated…_

At the moment when he said those words a new voice loudly sounded all around, suddenly breaking into his discourse. This was probably the first time in centuries when Kwanza was so brutally interrupted.

_You are haste in your judgment, Old One!_

The Council shook. Gasps of terror could be heard, along with strong growls of contradiction among the kings and words of disbelief and compassionate sorrow among the queens. A new royal pair joined the assembly. The two lions who were _not_ invited.

_Order! Order!_

Kwanza's voice adopted a note of youthful force that really made everyone silence. Everyone but Mufasa.

_Speak of the devil! Aren't you too busy with suffering your righteous penance to defile this meeting with your presence, **Scar**?_

The impostor spirit, or rather a dark, blurry, shadowy specter, sat beside the one of a female who had the same features as him. He chuckled mockingly, but his voice was also baring the sound of a hidden pain- as if someone was laughing back at being struck in the face, overcoming his humiliation.

_Heh-heh… Oh how distant are the times when you would address me as 'brother'! Quite gone, aren't they, Mufasa? Hahaha! How dare you deny me the access to this Council? Am I not a king? Is Zira, my mate, not the queen of the Pridelands and the mother of the present heir to the throne?_

Mufasa experienced that even in the immaterial realm of eternity one could still feel and express the emotion of _rage_.

_You were exiled from the Council of the Kings along with your mate for the crimes you have both committed! Now leave and get back to the punishment you have brought onto yourselves!_

Along with his came the roars of others, loud and demanding, and very angry. But just for infrequent events like these had the Council chosen a leader. Thus Kwanza spoke again.

_Silence! Quiet down, my brothers! Tame your rage, for there is no need for it. Scar and Zira have already been judged, but if they wish to speak- let us hear them out. Are we not noble creatures? A tainted crown is a crown nonetheless. Thus, for the respect of regal blood, we permit them to speak. _

After a few whispers of reluctance everything went silent again and the pair of dark souls stood in the midst of the assembly. The female soundless, disdainful, not even willing to face or look upon anyone. The male, her mate and a fallen tyrant, lifting his head proudly even though the brightness of the Old Kings' faces nearly blinded him and made him flinch. He spoke with a tone of insolent mockery, laughing at the Council's rules and laws, laughing at the centuries of their struggle for righteousness which he, presently being sentenced and punished, considered as only self-righteousness. Now, backed up by his recently deceased partner and lover, he found the impulse to face this celestial assembly. _Especially_ the part of it that was his family.

_Ha! 'Exile'… Isn't that your son's favorite word, brother? I didn't know you like it so much as well. I do not need your permission to speak here, Old One. I know that my regal blood provides me with that right, even if I do not have a single drop of it left. Mufasa- believe me, I enjoy the fires of hell much more than having to cope with facing the likes of you… and our cursed father, as well!_

Scar threw these words towards his brother and another spirit that stood right above him, looking as if it was somewhat halved in it's brightness. That made them both frown with offence, only to their relative's delight.

_But still I decided to come to your little party and give you dead lions a piece of my mind. Because it seems to me that not only are your bodies dead, but that your reason has expired along with it! And do shut your snouts for hell's sake, or do you want to make old Kwanza here strain his pretty voice again? Listen to me- you say that all the enemies of your petty peace in the Pridelands have been disposed of. Well are you sure of that? Do you really think that my mate will simply forget about how she'd been betrayed by her own family? Do you think that death can restrain her wrath and stop her from taking revenge? Oh no, great and noble Kings- you still have much to learn about Zira. But I reckon you know me better than her. So knowing me, do you suppose that I will simply abandon my own hand-chosen heir and let him waste his life and potential? Look at my brother- did the great Mufasa abandon his son when he was in need? No, he did not. And thus came my downfall. But the game is not over yet- Zira and I are still a part of it. You may take that poor little girl Kiara as your pawn. Do what you like- I couldn't care less. But hear me say this- Kovu and Vitani belong to us. Thus, we will use them to take over the Pridelands once again. Our memory will live on- you will not be able to sentence us to total oblivion. And when we triumph, the very mentioning of your names will be punishable by death._

The Council was thrown into utter chaos. After such words, not a single member was able to restrain his emotions. The spirits shouted, demanding Scar and Zira to be thrown out, to what the pair of shadowy figures responded with nothing but derisive laughter. They were dead already what made it impossible to harm them physically, otherwise they would have been torn to pieces.

_An outrage! Back to the abyss with them!_

One of the Old Kings, a very bright spirit whose name was Mohatu, shouted with significant energy. Kwanza was probably the only one who held his tongue, observing the whole scene with a sense of overall distaste. Then he pierced Scar and Zira with a haughty stare.

_You have been heard. Now leave!_

The dark pair's chortles turned into angry growls of pain as they were removed back into their place of infernal punishment. Slowly the Council calmed down, their spontaneous rage replaced by anxiety and concern. Mufasa spoke, fearful that their happiness for the fate of the Pridelnds might have came too early.

_Kwanza, Noble One! Is it true about what my brother said? Is he and that deranged wench of his still able to have influence on what happens in the world of the living? If so, they might be a serious threat to what we've been able to achieve…_

The First King thought for a while as every member of the assembly anticipated his answer. When he spoke, it did not sound as if he was afraid. But the note of full confidence was also absent in his words.

_Scar is a part of the spiritual realm just as we all are. He has as much power to influence the mortals on earth as every one of us… He may whisper and tempt them, but what happens shall depend on nothing more than each's free will. Scar called this a game, a match for souls… Yes, it does look like that. So we will do our best to lead Simba's pride on the right path, even though those two will try to interfere. Let us have hope in the good that dwells in the Prideladers' hearts that they shall choose wisely who to listen to…_

No one had nothing more to add after that. Slowly the Old Kings went away to continue their slumber, as dawning was already starting to break, the great and magnificent orb of the sun making the distant stars fade and disappear among the firmament.

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**AN: Ooh, guess what- it's a ghost story. Well, not exactly, but since Mufasa's specter was able to contact Simba and influence his actions, then why can't the other dead lions? Scar, for example... _Muhahaha_, now doesn't that give a hellish opportunity? Enough with the changes of heart, let's make ol' Scar-face the one who puts the 'hell' in 'Hello Kitty' again!**

**So whaddya guys think? XD  
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	2. The Chosen One

**AN: First of all, I would like to welcome and thank all of my most faithful readers! XD *_Bows profoundly*_  
**

**The response I got from you to the first 'sample' chapter of this here sequel was really flattering and motivating me to go on. It's true that this might not be anything of an astonishingly new idea for a story, but still I'll try to make it as new and unique as possible. I'm not trying to copy anyone or re-write any of my former stories, even though some things might seem similar. I suppose this is probably going to be a longer version of my first story, 'The Darkness in Me' (so quite dark), but to tell you the truth, I still have to think on where to lead the plot. Should I really make Scar and Zira able to shatter the delicate ballance in the Pridelands and take their horrible revenge, or give them a hard time in hell while observing just how invulnerable Kovu and Vitani are to all of their efforts? That we shall see. For now, here's something to give this little tale a little bit more of a (hopefully) good start.  
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**Chapter 2 – The Chosen One**

Now there came a time when the Old Kings went to present themselves before Kwanza, and Scar came also among them.

The others looked upon him with disgust, yet as the Ancient One had personally summoned him from the abyss, they kept their abhorrence to themselves. Mufasa also stood in the line, and for some time it was hard for the murdered to stand the presence of the murderer, and also for the slayer to stand the presence of the one he'd slain. But then the bright spirit spoke to the dark one- not with anger and reproach, as those emotions, just as back when he was still alive, appeared inside him suddenly and brutally only to fade away as smoke on the wind, afterwards leaving a heavy heart and the weight of regret. This time, somewhat conciliatory, Mufasa asked his brother if he was still angry with him. The reprobate, surprised at first, responded baring a hellish smile. No, he said. He wasn't angry anymore. Even killing him did not have much to do with anger- Scar saw himself as far less impulsive than his older sibling. He committed the crime for which he was now being punished from nothing more than his sense of justice- in order to remove an obstacle that stood in the way of achieving what he rightfully deserved. Did he hate Mufasa? Well, he did hate what Mufasa had been made, and he loathed that with all his heart. But what were his feeling towards his brother now, in afterlife, when none of them was king of the Pridelands anymore? It was really hard to clearly recognize, but the feeling was not hate. With another sarcastic grin, Scar just told his sibling not to bother himself with it. After all, the story of their reign was far over- what was important now was what was going to happen with their living descendants. So the dark spirit wished the luminous one the best of luck in watching over his successors, also giving him a solemn promise that he would watch his.

Scar left Mufasa with the feeling of uncertainty. Surely, power was what he sought, even if he wasn't able to seize it himself. But that dead lion had not left the world without having an impact on a few others… And thus the game has begun. The battle for souls.

Kwanza, piercing Scar with that potent, omniscient stare of his, made him stand before him in respect even if not in fear. For the First King might have been the one who sentenced the former tyrant to a hellish penance for his fratricide, but he had no power to destroy him or even to render him incapacitated. And that was a fact of which the dark soul was conscious. Thus Kwanza said onto Scar- 'what are you planning'? Then Scar answered to Kwanza and said, 'have you considered Kovu, my heir and my stepson?' And Kwanza said to Scar- 'he is not much like you, a blameless and upright lion, turning away from evil and from the path of his ancestor.' Then Scar answered to Kwanza- 'he knows little of me, but have I not had enough time to plant my seed in his heart? Zira had failed to make it rise as the boy became blinded by the spell of romance and the visage of Simba's offspring. But he will yield to his fate, eventually. And to the plan his parents have for him- Kovu will take the crown from Simba's head and he will rule himself. I will look to it personally. Let me put my paw forth and touch him- he will surely listen to me to your deepest perturbation.' Kwanza responded- 'surely he will not, as the light shines in his heart and the good is stronger in him than the scar you left there. But behold- as restricted as you are in your present woeful state, Kovu is in your power, as well as anyone who you would wish to incline.'

Thus Scar departed from the presence of Kwanza.

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He couldn't sleep. Even though his pride, both the _old_ and the _new_ part of it, was resting peacefully inside the cave at Pride Rock, the natural urge to retire after hours of strain during the midday hunt had left him, somehow. Instead, Kovu laid on top of the peak of his new hope, a splendid spot from which one could survey the Pridelands all around, gazing at the orange rays of the setting sun.

The sunset was one of a handful of thing that have stayed the same as they had been before. He remembered that it would look just as pretty when he watched it as a cub with his mother in the Outlands. The Outlands… The country of almost all of his former life now being just a distant, insignificant memory. Truly, a lot has changed… Once again he turned his head to observe the vast area of Simba's kingdom. Living here was no longer a battle for survival. A lion did not have to spend a whole day looking to feed on a measly mouse or digging in the dirt to find a few drops of water to extinguish his thirst. In comparison to the 'dry, pathetic, termite-infested Outlands', as Zira would often call them, the Pridelands were a true paradise. And Kovu was perfectly conscious of just how grateful and happy he should presently feel. He and the lionesses from his pride now had an abundance of food and water, but for the young lion that fact was not what caused him the greatest delight.

His reward was at the moment resting in her den along with her family. With a happy sigh, Kovu remembered his beautiful betrothal ceremony with princess Kiara- the lioness he truly loved. Back then he simply couldn't believe just how fortunate he was to finally gain king Simba's trust. Presently it was something obvious, something that brought a real, long-awaited peace between two parts of a once brutally shattered pride of lions.

Kovu considered himself a very lucky guy. But despite that he knew he should be happy for how things turned out, from time to time he couldn't fight a strange feeling that lurked somewhere in his heart like a hidden hunter awaiting his prey. A certain strange darkness or a shadow he thought he saw that disappeared as soon as he would catch up with it and notice it in the corner of his eye.

But most of the times, he would just try to shoo that thought away. It was irrational- what had he to fear in his present state? He had a home, a family, a beautiful mate… Yes, in order to achieve that much had to be sacrificed, including the lives of his mother and brother… but was there any of his own fault in the misfortune that had taken place?

No, there wasn't. There couldn't be. To that he would not agree.

Kovu sighed, lifting his paw from the ground in order to comb back the hair of his thick brown mane that almost covered his sight. But as he did that hastily and without consideration, he unintentionally touched the healing wound on his left eye. Feeling the pain, he frowned and groaned aloud.

-"_Dah_! That damned scar… When is it going to disappear?"

Having addressed the words to no one but himself, he flinched at hearing an answering voice.

-"I doubt that _such_ a wound is ever going to fully heal!" – Zazu, Simba's hornbill assistant, said to him while soundlessly landing on the ground just beside. – "And furthermore, if you have any ambition at all to become a worthy member of the royal family, I advise you to watch your language!"

Not very pleased with the bird's lofty remarks, Kovu looked at him with consideration. Despite everything, the lion felt that this particular member of the king's entourage still wasn't exactly on his side.

-"Oh don't be so offended. I've done _much_ worse things than swearing!" – Kovu laughed sarcastically, to what the bird responded with nothing but folding his wings and throwing at him a narrowed gaze.

-"I'll be keeping my eye on you" – Zazu said finally.

-"_Ha_! Really? And why is that?"

-"Well, isn't it obvious? You're an alien to this pride, quite an unpredictable specimen. And possibly quite a… dangerous one, too."

Kovu snorted, hearing such an outrageous opinion being said about him.

-"_Puh_! _Dangerous_? You're talking crazy, why would anyone still think of me like that? Didn't I prove my innocence and that I put behind with what I didn't even have nothing to do? Doesn't Kiara's word make you sure of that?"

Contrary to the lion's emotional tone, the hornbill kept his frigid calmness.

-"Oh you misunderstood me. I'm not accusing you of anything. It's not what you have done in your deplorable past that matters. It's what you'll do in the future. And just between the two of us- with all due respect, princess Kiara's just as _predictable _and _trustworthy _as you are."

Kovu couldn't believe his ears. He remembered that Zazu was always a royal sidekick and a keeper of all the old protocol, but he thought that after his admittance into Simba's pride the ignoble blood in his veins wouldn't matter anymore. Well, now it seemed that it indeed did matter. At least for the blue banana-beak majordomo.

-"So what is the problem with me?" – Kovu uttered with irritation, still not having a clue about the cause of Zazu's reserve. – "Why do you continue to be the only one in the Pridelands that treats me like some kind of a hidden threat or something?"

The bird raised an eyebrow.

-"The only one? Oh no, Kovu, I am not acting on my own behalf. After all, I am firstly a servant of the king. He himself ordered me to keep him well informed about your actions."

-"_What_? Simba? And he seemed so nice to me from the time of the betrothal! I can't believe he still doesn't trust me!"

-"Oh don't look so shocked. Judging from your background, I'm surprised the king ever let you become his daughter's mate!"

Old Zazu was being his typical self- honest in expressing his thoughts to the point where it hurt. Now Kovu really became troubled.

-"But… I don't get it. What's wrong with me? Was there really something I did that was so horrible?"

-"_Uh_, how I loathe having to state the clear and obvious…" – sighed the bird, rolling his eyes. – "Let me repeat, this is not a matter of what you have or have not done. You're Scar's heir, my friend! And Zira's son! _That_ is about exactly what it takes to make you a suspicious individual."

Without further ado, Zazu flapped his wings and took off, leaving Kovu emerged deeply in his thoughts. After such a dialogue, there were many questions he would ask himself. Was he really flawed by his background and past? All he ever knew about Scar, the former evil king of the Pridelands and his step-father, were a little cub's misty memories and highly exaggerated descriptions his mother would later give him. So was he really bearing some dark legacy inside his heart?

All in all, even if to some extent he feared that this might be true, he considered that all he had to do now was to prove to everyone that his future would be a better one than his past.

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**AN: If anyone of you is wondering why does the first part of the chapter sound a little bit familiar, I'll reveal that I wrote it on the basis of the beginning of the biblical Book of Job. I suppose it describes well the situation of a person who is in the power of both good and evil spiritual beings in order to be tested to which side he will turn. Well guess what- Kovu's our Job. I wonder what's gonna happen next, don't you? XD**


	3. The Hidden Danger

**Chapter 3 – The Hidden Danger**

Kiara had done significant progress in her hunting abilities from the time of the first lessons Kovu gave her. At the present time, her mate was quite proud of himself when he observed how she put into use everything he attempted to teach his young and eager pupil. Kiara took part in the pride's team hunts on a daily basis now, and Kovu was hearing praising opinions about the development of her skills. He was really happy for her, because he knew that since she was still a little show-off, most of the work she put in to her training was to please her mate and to be able to spend at least a little more time together with him.

It was due to Simba's deep lawfulness that the two lions were nowadays too busy to be together all day long. Since the number of the pride's members was lately almost doubled, the king decided that the Pridelander and former Outlander lionesses should form two separate hunting parties- one lead by queen Nala, to which also her daughter belonged and that was under Simba's personal protection, and a second one that caught their prey in another part of the savanna at the same time, lead by Vitani and supervised by her brother Kovu. This made the pair of mates work in separation, drastically shortening the amount of time they could spend together. Somehow, Kovu couldn't fight the thought that Simba wanted to isolate him from Kiara for a reason… But usually he would just consider that feeling an illusion.

Side by side, they ran through the grassy field with highest haste. Kiara was already late for her team's hunt and every wasted minute that she didn't spend standing on her assigned position could result in a failure, an empty stomach and being shouted at by everyone including the king. And that was a thing they would rather not experience. Not _another_ time.

Halting at a crossroad post marked by a dead tree, their typical goodbye spot, they panted for a while from the strain of the long run from as far as Pride Rock. Kovu, lowering his head and attempting to catch his breath, missed to notice Kiara throwing herself at him to lock him in her embrace. As he groaned with surprise, she licked his cheek and smiled.

-"Well now, mister hunter! Didn't see that coming, did ya?"

The male lion hugged her with emotion, knowing that there was no time for prolonged farewells.

-"Oh you agile little snake! You better go on and join your mother to use those abilities of yours in practice."

-"I get my best _practice_ while using my skills on you! And far more fun that while chasing wildebeests, definitely."

-"Yeah, but I'm kinda starting to become hungry for a wildebeest steak. Go on, Kiara- we'll see each other in the evening."

The lioness just sighed with staged, cub-like discontent. But then her face became normal again. She knew her duties- she was not a child anymore and refused to be treated like one.

-"Bye, honey. Thanks for a great morning" – she said finally.

-"Goodbye, Kiara. Have a good hunt."

Just as every day, they both parted with a heavy heart. The lioness ran towards the grassy meadow where the herbivores liked to graze and Kovu stood on a hill for a while to observe her joining her party. Somewhere over there, Simba was also scoping the huntresses in order to make sure that they are undisturbed by whatever danger that may occur and to aid them in bringing the captured prey down, if necessary. The younger male had a similar job to do as well- and so now he had to make his way closer to the northern border of the Pridelands where Vitani was probably already about to lead her lionesses into action. His sister was a good hunter and didn't really consider Kovu's presence and protection to be required at all. As fast as she had to learn to have a whole team under her command after Zira's death, she really showed signs of simply being born to do that and laughed at the mere mentioning of a proposition to help. But still, Kovu was now Simba's subordinate and had to take care of all the duties he was given, even if they consisted of doing nothing but gazing at Vitani's team as they caught their food without any trouble at all.

_Well, who knows _– thought the lion as he turned around and slowly started pacing towards the northern border – _Tani's plans are pretty hard to predict. Maybe today she'll order her girls to take on a giraffe or even an elephant, and they'll really need some extra muscle? Ah, I better just get moving…_

It was now right before the edge of the dry season. The until recently juicy-green landscape of the Pridelands was slowly starting to show signs of a more yellow-greyish palette of colors due to the intense heat. Even though the lions from Simba's pride were far from being threatened by starvation, still they had to put in a significant amount of work to pursue the herds relocating in search for better pastures. And so Kovu had a long walk ahead of him- he had to make it through nearly half of the kingdom to find the place where Vitani and her cats were hunting. And, frankly, he wasn't very up for it.

Traipsing lazily from one checkpoint to the other, taking refuge from the rays of the merciless sun under the branches of acacia trees he passed along the way, he might have moved in the right direction, but still wasn't getting there very fast. Looking at the blazing ball of fire in the sky, he estimated that it wasn't even noon yet and that there was no need to rush even if he was a little late. He didn't talk to anyone along the way since all of the other animals were either afraid of a lone lion or not any of his acquaintances. Lost in his thoughts, walking where his paws would lead him, he suddenly found himself in an unknown surrounding. How clumsy of him, he judged, but not really blaming himself for getting lost. After all, he was still new to the Pridelands and had the right not to know every stone and bush in the whole kingdom. He took a look around- the area was grassy, already pretty dried up, probably a little to the east from where he was supposed to be. Upon the many places where there was nothing but dirt there wallowed scorpions, desert rats and other such unpleasant creatures, so Kovu thought that he best not waste much time in this dreadful environment. All around, everything was silent- the wind playing only a soft melody upon the strings of the grass.

Suddenly, his ears caught an unusual sound that attracted his attention. It was something of a short hiss, coming from behind a tall wall of something that looked like reeds scorched by the sun. That was interesting- reeds meant that somewhere over there once there might have been a waterhole or even a small lake, and the lion was getting seriously thirsty due to his extended journey. Hoping to find some water despite the heat, already feeling it's cooling pleasure, Kovu rushed to cross the plant wall. But, to his great surprise, he didn't exactly find a pond at the other side. Instead, he felt the dry ground slumping from under his front paws, and with a shriek of shock, he fell down the edge of a tall ravine, bruising himself painfully on the way.

As soon as he hit the earth at the bottom, he cursed at his carelessness and the many bruises it caused. Shaking the dirt off his mane, he saw himself inside a small valley, desolate and dry, a place reminding him of his former home in the Outlands. He was alone there, accompanied by no one but a chalk-white skeleton of a long dead antelope.

-"_Hmf_! At least I'm not the only animal _dumb_ enough to fall into this pit…" – he uttered vexed, gazing inside the hollow sockets.

-"_Dumb_? Why not at all!"

Hearing the skeleton answering him, Kovu became petrified. Was he loosing his mind from being in the sun for too long?

-"You did jussst what'sss required of you, my lion friend" – the low, hissing voice echoed gruesomely from inside the empty antelope head.

-"_Uhm_… What is this? Who are you?" – Kovu asked with a note of insecurity, carefully knocking at the skull with a paw and then quickly moving away to observe what happens.

-"_Hmhmhm_… Are you afraid of ghosssts, Kovu? Well don't worry, because you aren't sseeing any… _yet_."

Out of one of the sockets there crawled the owner of the voice that spoke- a large serpent, colorful and quite pretty with his mixture of black and yellow and orange scales, yet visibly a poisonous and dangerous one as well. The lion before him sighed with relief, seeing that he was neither crazy nor in the presence of some strange, unknown beast, yet still keeping all of the required caution.

-"How do you know my name, snake? And what do you want from me?" – he asked with a lot of emphasis. But the reptile was far from letting himself become intimidated.

-"_Hmhm_… I know a lot of thingsss, my friend. My name iss Elkanah- and I am the oracle. The one who hearss the voicess of the ancientsss, and those who are far away. Who revealss the visionss of the sstarsss- falling down, yet having eyess uncovered."

Kovu did not understand much from the serpent's senseless babble, yet his words did sound a little bit familiar. They reminded him of another animal that bore the title of _oracle_- the ever-irritating and ever-crazy ancient baboon, Rafiki.

-"Elkanah, huh? Well what are ya, some kind of a _shaman_ or something?"

The snake's emotionless face did not change a bit, but somehow Kovu had the feeling that he smiled.

-"That'ss _right_. A _shaman_ iss who I am. A mixer of herbsss and poisonsss, and the medium to the world of beyond…"

-"Okay okay, let's leave the _world of the beyond_ for a while. You still didn't answer my question- how in the world do you know my name, wormtongue?"

The lion was becoming more and more unstable, but Elkanah seemed to have planned this conversation long ago.

-"There are certain thingss you will know ssoon, and ssome for which to know you will have to wait. But thiss I can tell you right away- I know you, Kovu. You can call me, if you pleasse, a _friend of the family_."

-"What?" – asked the lion with disbelief filling his voice. – "You knew someone from my family?"

-"Correction!" – Elkanah crawled with the rest of his long body out from inside the skull and curled up right in front of the startled feline. – "I _know_ your family!" – he hissed.

-"Who, for example? My sister? Or maybe you mean my mate and her father, the king?"

The snake turned his head, disappointed by Kovu's ignorant answers.

-"You're misssing the point thiss time…"

That was about enough of what the lion could bear. With an contemptuous snort, expressing the offence he felt from the serpent's obvious lies, he decided to just leave the lunatic reptile with his skeleton to catch up with Vitani and the huntresses while he still had the time.

But as soon as he went pass the snake, he heard him hissing with noticeable anger. Normally, being much bigger and stronger, he wouldn't pay any attention to that at all, but when he felt two venom fangs piercing the skin on his calf, he froze. And not just from the rage that rose inside him after that insolent attack. Also because he simply couldn't move, at once becoming overpowered by the paralysis caused from the poison. Stumbling to the ground with a desperate groan, he only tried to remember if the type of venom a snake of Elkanah's kind used was able to kill a grown male lion. But he couldn't remember…

As the darkness became shadowing his sight, he saw the serpent shaman's black eyes shining right in front of his.

-"_Sleep, my little Kovu. My precious little thing_" – he said, making the lion wonder where ever did he have a chance to hear the words of his mother's old lullaby.

But only a second later, he wasn't able to wonder about anything more at all.

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**AN: So, if in the Lion King universum there is a good shaman (namely Rafiki) who can contact the spirits of the 'good' dead guys, then why can't there also be a 'bad' shaman? Thus we meet Elkanah, the mysterious snake, a well-known symbol of temptation. He's a character from one of my first fanfics I wrote in Polish, but I suppose he'll fit here perfectly. As long as Kovu doesn't bite his head off for poisoning him...**

**Reviews shall be well apreciated XD  
**


	4. The Prodigal Son

**AN: Sorry, sorry, tripple sorry for making you people wait for so long! There are simply extremely important matters in my life nowadays that I have to take care of and I have been off-line for some time. But nonetheless, here's-**

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**Chapter 4 – The Prodigal Son**

Kovu woke up with a severe headache- much more severe than the one someone would feel after eating tons of fermented fruit. The world he saw was blurry and misty, it turned around for a while making him dizzy and unable to stand up. But- or at least it seemed to be so- he was alive.

_I'm gonna kill that snake_ – this was the first though that appeared in his head as he felt the painful bruise on his calf in the place where the reptile bit him. But as soon as his sight cleared a little, he had another thing to think of- namely the fact that he wasn't inside the small valley anymore. Right now he found himself at one of the banks of the Zuberi river, near the completely opposite border of the Pridelands. Or at least so it seemed, because when he found enough strength to stand up everything around still looked very shapeless and strangely foggy somehow. But the presence of any water source at all was definitely something good- the thirst Kovu felt was so intense that it almost burned inside him like fire, and all that he dreamed of right now was to get a drink from the mysterious river.

As he came close to the shore, careful not to fall inside and drown in the raging current, he noticed the surrounding area to be loitered with wet trunks, branches and broken pieces of wood. Just as if some kind of a flood had just ended.

_That's odd_ – he thought, not knowing of any such event that lately took place in the Pridelands. But Kovu was far too thirsty to bother with these things before satisfying his burning lust for water. And so, lowering his head to the surface of the river, he noticed some waving, dark shape. Was it some fish or a piece of rubbish? It was hard to tell due to the shapelessness of the strange occurrence. As he gazed at it for a little longer, he found out that the waves were slowly starting to calm and the shadow in the water was becoming more and more visible. And as he recognized it, he was becoming more and more afraid, just as he always used to be. But just as in the past, he also could not contradict and turn his sight away.

Among the water, he was seeing an image of Zira, his dead mother.

It had to be her- there was no doubt about it. That stripe on her head, the notch in her ear, those blood-red eyes… But none of the features made the specter more discernible to Kovu than that well-know, hellish, vicious grin.

-"_Heh-heh-heh_…" – she chuckled in a low tone that echoed as if from a different world, sending shivers down her son's spine and making his hair raise. – "I must say I am surprised. I thought that you have already forgotten me!"

Kovu's throat was constricted and he clenched his fangs, but he knew he had to answer.

-"N-no, mother!" – he yelped, cringing as if he was a little cub again. – "It's not how you think…"

-"_Silence, child_!" – and there it was, her old rage again, as furious as it had always been. - "I know every drop of water that falls on the ground of this land and not one of them was a tear you shed after my death! Admit it, Kovu- have some leonine courage inside you to say that to me face to face!"

It was a nightmare come true… Indeed, the lion was looking for courage in him. He wanted to oppose- he couldn't let himself submit to the power she had over him _again_. Not this time. He'd fought her before, and he'd won.

-"You were wrong, mother! You only brought this fate on yourself!" – he tried to scream, but he was only able to say it out in a moderately loud tone. Zira's expression changed from fury to staged and exaggerated woe in the blink of an eye.

-"Oh what have I done to hear such words from my own son! Have I not commended everything in my life to you and your wellbeing? Have I not only tried to rid you of the life of an outcast, exiled into a land that could be called a prison rather than a home?"

-"Don't try to lie to me again! All you wanted was to use me and gain the power and control you have once lost and was unable to recapture without my help!"

Zira silenced, narrowing her glowing, red eyes and piercing Kovu with a stare of deep disdain before she spoke again.

-"Then why did you even come here?" – she spat at him angrily. – "Do you wish to mock me and add your betrayal to the load I must carry in my present miserable state?"

-"Come here? I don't even know where this… _here _is! Some crazy snake shaman bit me and the second thing I know is finding myself on a riverside, talking to my deceased mother!"

-"Oh, you must mean Elkanah."

-"Do you know him?"

-"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. He was Scar's trusted advisor back in the good days when we used to rule at Pride Rock."

-"_Puh_! Scar's _advisor_? I doubt that _he_ would ever let anyone _advise_ him to do anything!"

-"You mind your words when you mention your stepfather, Kovu! You don't know _anything_ about him. I myself used to help him with multiple matters, and Elkanah was someone whose skills the king also considered as valuable. He was our doctor, replacing that good-for-nothing mandrill, as well as a skilled assassin. For your information, he was also the one who personally lead my betrothal ceremony with Scar… and also your presentation, too."

-"_Ha_! Now _that_ I would like to see…" – somehow, Kovu considered such a thought to be quite amusing.

And as soon as he said that, surprisingly, the surface of the water started waving again. Zira's face disappeared for a while, making place for the vision of a barren Pride Rock with hordes of hyenas and a frightened group of lionesses and other animals surrounding it from all sides. Atop of the tallest peak there stood two dark figures- the tyrant and his mate, Kovu's mother beside a lion whose looks he barely remembered. Scar. The great usurper. And his own stepfather.

Two lion cubs were cuddling at Zira's paws- a bigger Nuka, looking measly and sick, and his newborn sister, Vitani. Curled up between the royal pair, there was Elkanah the snake with the black, yellow and orange color of his scales. As large as he was, even though with a lot of effort, he grabbed another lion cub by the nape and lifted him from the ground to present the king's heir before the whole land. Scar and Zira roared and their hyenas cheered.

Watching himself taking part in such a ceremony was deeply disturbing to Kovu for some reason. Frowning, he observed the vision fade away and Zira reappearing among the waters.

-"I was so proud of you on that day" – she said with her tone of deepest emotion. – "And so was Scar, as well. We all had our highest hopes imposed in you. We were supposed to create a happy family… I'm sorry that you don't believe me now. It's a real shame how things turned out…"

Kovu did not know what to answer. Didn't he really believe what his mother said? It was hard to tell. But still, he thought he needed to say something. To express a thought he'd been carrying in his heart for a long time. No matter how hard was it to push the words out of his mouth.

-"Mother… Listen, I… I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what happened. I'm never going to admit you were right about starting the war with the Pridelanders, but… please, believe me- I never wanted you to die!"

Suddenly, a smile appeared upon Zira's face. But not her usual grin- no, this time she seemed truly pleased and calmed by what her son said to her. Again, for the first time since forever, what was really unusual for her, the dead queen of the Outlands looked _happy_.

-"My dear, sweet child… I know there's still hope for you. Scar and I are going to be so proud… Despite everything that's happened, you still belong to us!"

Kovu had an impression that Zira was trying to reach out with her paws to hold him in her embrace. And, to his shock, a second later a pair of paws did indeed emerge from the depth of the river- two soaking wet, clawed, festering, dead paws grabbed him by the neck with the strength of a buffalo and pulled him back into the abyss before he was even able to scream.

And then he woke up again. For real this time.

He was lying in the valley right beside the dead antelope, feeling dizzy and sore all over. Without further ado, he ran away from that place as fast as his aching body let him, finding Vitani and her hunting team already lying on their backs with their stomachs filled with the meat of the prey they'd caught.

-"Oh hey Kovu, where ya been?" – asked his sister, opening just one eye to look at him. – "Man, you look like a stampede went over ya! Is something wrong?" – she lifted up a bit, supporting on her elbows.

-"_Huh_! No, I… I'll tell ya later, okay?" – said the lion panting so hard he was barely able to speak. – "For now… I hope you girls left me something from the hunt, cause if I don't bite into some meat right now… I think I'm gonna die."

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**AN: The spirits of the past are able to reveal old secrets and long-forgotten truths. I wonder what will be taken forth to see the light of day and add a little chaos to Simba's delicate paradise...**


	5. The Disturbed Balance

**AN: Oh Schmitt, now I have a lot of explaining to do…**

**Well, once again, sorry for a very long pause in publishing, but as I have said before- my duties and the additional lack of inspiration do not help me in continuing this story. And even though I cannot promise to you to add new chapters as often as I used to with my former stories, don't worry- I will continue it until the very end and try to make the effect worth the wait.**

**But enough babble. Off we go.**

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**Chapter 4 – The Disturbed Balance**

Vitani was in a bad mood. And that's only a very delicate way to put it, as due to her _unstable_ state of mind even her fellow huntresses decided to leave their leader to herself after the whole team had dinner earlier that day.

Usually, Vitani was a pretty clever and respectable lioness, taking her duties seriously and carrying them out flawlessly. But sometimes, especially if someone got in her way, she would show a large dose of impatience or even brutality, strongly resembling her mother in the second case. Even though she rarely sought conflict, enjoying all the peace and free time she could get between hunts, she turned into a real devil when infuriated.

This is exactly why she was now lying alone away from Pride Rock, in the shade of a stone formation that had been formerly inhabited by another lion that was very close to her, even despite she did not know that. She attempted to take a nap, but the thoughts that were knocking about inside her head made the effort useless. _How could he possibly be so stupid? _– she asked herself. _These decrees he's giving are dumb enough to be considered as ordered by an ape instead of a lion! Uh, I should have guessed, anyway. He is kinda monkey-brained for a ruler…_

She'd been cursing and taunting like that since the last argument she had with the king of the Pridelands the other day. And she was so preoccupied with calling him names that she missed the sound of someone approaching. The impostor was already close to tapping her at the side in order to gain her attention when she noticed the shade of a large animal dancing on the wall of the cave. That made her spring to her feet in an eye-blink and roar angrily, expressing just how displeased she was with someone disturbing her loneliness. Her visitor, abashed, gasped to hear her express her truly poor mood and moved away. But when she saw who he was, she dropped her rage and even felt kind of sorry for roaring at her own brother.

-"Sheesh, Tani! If you don't want me here, I'm gone!" – Kovu said to her.

-"Aw, damn it! Don't take it to yourself, I thought it was someone else" – she delivered her apology in her own special way. – "Well, whaddya want? Wouldn'tcha rather spend your time with Kiara than walk all the way here?"

Kovu came closer to see his sister better among the shade. His expression was filled with concern. _He was always the kind-hearted one _- she thought, not without a bit of derision.

-"Kiara's asleep" – her brother answered. – "Nala's party had a lot of work today so I decided it's better for her if she has a little rest this time. And besides, I also heard that _you're _also having some trouble. The lionesses were talking all about it, so I decided to see you myself. So what's up?"

Vitani rolled her eyes and sighed.

-"Oh there is nothing _up_! I'm just _perfectly_ fine!" – she said in a mocking tone.

That made Kovu look at her with a delicate smile. He knew she had something she wanted to talk about. And, frankly, he was the only one to whom she would ever express such things without screaming.

-"C'mon! I know ya too well, I can see something's biting you."

Vitani looked at the lion with narrowed eyes. Then she casually rose from the ground and came up to one of the walls of the cave, one that was significantly smooth except maybe a few old scratches. Since the rocky surface looked perfect for that purpose, she stood on her hind legs and started to sharpen her claws.

-"It's not about me" – she mumbled finally. – "It's about that silly fat ape who calls himself our king…"

-"What? You mean Simba?" – Kovu was quite surprised. He knew that his sister didn't exactly love the ruler she was forced to submit to, but he never realized the problem was serious.

In the meantime, Vitani turned around from the cave wall and gave him another irritated gaze.

-"Yeah, _obviously_. That clown is ruining my job as a hunter with all of his stupid rules and laws. And I ain't talking about the old ones- no, those were far more restrictive than what we've been doing back in the Outlands, but at least they had anything to do with reason. But the _new_ ones do not."

-"New laws? What new laws?" – Kovu couldn't quite remember what the matter was about.

-"Uh! Are ya even paying attention to what's going on in the hunting fields? Simba banned us from killing warthogs and meercats in all of the Pridelands just yesterday, without any exceptions. Can ya believe that? Not that I care about those little rodents that the girls kill for sport, never liked 'em anyway. But the pigs are all around the place, they're easy to catch and tasty, and that's not just my opinion. I even saw the huntresses from Nala's team turning their heads with _big_ disappointment when he said that, even thought they should be used to it after all those years! You see, we shared our prey with them once and even though they were happy as ever to have a change in the menu, but when Simba found out, he just went crazy about it. I'm telling ya, that guy's gonna throw this pride into a riot! Who cares about that his two little friends felt bad when we started killing off their kind? And what if the king became emotionally attached to a wildebeest or some frickin' zebra? Would we then have ta starve to death in a land of plenty? I don't give a damn if Timon and Pumbaa saved Simba's ass in the desert. If they piss me off- I'm gonna have them both for breakfast. There has to be a little balance in nature, doesn't it? It almost seems that Simba forgot that we lions are carnivores! That's _not_ how you keep peace in a kingdom, as far as I know it. That's just some kinda joke."

Kovu was listening to his sister's angry wave of words silently, waiting for her to finish in patience. These monologues were kind of therapeutical for her since she was a cub and he was perfectly conscious that he better let her throw everything she wanted out at him before trying to respond.

-"I hear ya" – he said finally after a moment of silence during which Vitani was panting to catch her breath again. – "So you're saying he increased the hunting limits? Hm, so that's why there's so much commotion among the lionesses lately… I wonder why didn't Kiara say anything about that. I guess she never liked warthog meat…"

-"Yeah? And what about her dad's two spies? Doesn't she remember how Simba used to send that meercat and his hog to baby-sit her, even when she wasn't a baby no more? I seriously doubt she's as _committed_ to them as the king is…"

Kovu wondered.

-"Hm… Right, they are a bit annoying. And I suppose Kiara still thinks that. To tell ya the truth, I too have no idea how did they ever become Simba's friends. But Tani, you really need to listen to me here… Do not _eat_ Timon and Pumbaa. If Simba wants them around- he can have'm. And about which animals we do and do not hunt, well, Simba's the boss around here, but I'm thinking that if you speak to Nala on this and try to _peacefully_ make her understand the whole situation, he might just want to reconsider. You know how much influence the queen has on her mate. You… haven't talked to Nala about it, haven't you?"

Vitani looked a bit awkward to hear her brother's rational solution that contrasted to her emotional outburst.

-"No… not yet. But I will. Nala is definitely someone better to converse with than that fat slob with a mane."

-"Just keep your emotions and your tongue at bay. You know you're having trouble with that…"

Vitani snorted at Kovu's thoughtful look and the sure tone of his voice. But yes, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. And she knew that as well as the fact that he said that only because he was her brother and was concerned about her wellbeing. During the time of their stay in the Pridelands, the time that was very hard for her after the death of their mother, Vitani found Kovu to really show his friendship to her in sacrificing even the time he spent with his mate to come talk to her and try to be of some help. Yes, she tried to fight that and shoo him away, but somewhere deep inside she knew she needed someone by her side. She didn't have a mate of her own and after loosing Nuka and Zira, the hardcore tomboyish lioness was slowly realizing just how lonely she felt. And quarrels with Simba did not help her in the least, so Kovu's consolation was something she needed and valued very much.

She looked him in the eyes, trying to prevent her face from showing any emotion at all. And then she remembered that she'd forgotten about something- about the fact that her brother had himself looked pretty down and troubled during the past few days. Now, wanting to repay him for his kindness, she wondered about how she could help him for a change.

So as a start, she pounced and pinned him to the ground.

-"Hey! What's up with that?" – Kovu said smiling, struggling with his sister to free himself from her clutches. Starting such a wrestling match was a friendly gesture for a lion, and he felt good in his heart that he managed to brighten up his sibling's mood.

Letting him go finally, Vitani stood up and adopted a wide grin.

-"Ha! Kiara should take care of ya, you're getting flaccid!"

-"_Flaccid_? You gotta be kidding me! Okay, I might be tired today, but just choose any other time and I'll show ya how to fight!" – Kovu smiled back at her, shaking the dust off his brown mane.

-"I just can't wait to see you begging for mercy… As long as you'll drop that strange look you're bearing lately."

-"Huh? What look?"

-"Oh c'mon, I ain't blind. For the past few days ya looked like a discarded cub, just like someone did something really nasty to you and you couldn't do nothing about it. I even wanted to ask Kiara if she knew what was wrong, but with her you tried to smile all the time so I guess she just missed it. But I didn't."

Her brother went silent for a while. He knew she was right. There was something that still bothered him no matter how long he waited trying to forget it. _Well, since Vitani told be about her troubles, I might as well tell her mine_ – he decided.

-"Yeah, you're right. Something is kinda bugging me…" – he bit his lip, thinking about how to put it into words. His sister raised her brow, encouraging him to go on. – "Uh… Listen, I know this sounds crazy, but… have you been having any… strange dreams lately?"

The lioness was becoming visibly irritated from such a mysterious behavior of her brother.

-"_Strange_? Whaddya mean by strange?"

-"Well, you know, like… nightmares and such things. Or maybe even… daydreams?"

-"Have you been in the sun for too long? _Hmf_, actually I don't usually dream, and even if I do, most of the times I don't pay any attention to what I dream about…" – Vitani slowed down, remembering something. – "But… yeah, lately I dreamt about mother a few times. Why do you ask?"

Kovu was kind of concerned about how hard it was for his sister to mention Zira. It seamed that she'd put it behind her, but still there was something very disturbing about the whole case.

-"Tell me…" – he asked. – "Do you remember any of the old legends about the ones who have… _passed away_? You know, the ones about the stars, and about the spirits of the past…"

-"I remember mother used to believe in such things" – Vitani interrupted him, looking kind of interested for some reason. – "She used to talk to Scar even though she knew he died long ago. I never used to understand why she did that. But what does that have to do with my dreams? Do you suppose that what you and I saw were ghosts of the dead or something?"

Kovu kept his mouth shut and didn't answer, but that was indeed what he thought. For a moment, Vitani was gazing at him with eyes wide open, the thoughts in her head being hard to determine. And then she suddenly gave him a delicate slap at the top of his head.

-"Dreams are only dreams, doofus!" – she uttered in a menner as if she was explaining the fact to a particularly stupid cub. – "You shouldn't be worried about what you see in visions that appear in your mind. What happens when we are awake- now that is what we should be really worried about! C'mon, it's getting late. Let's just get back to Pride Rock."

And then she just got up and started to walk away. Crestfallen and a little ashamed of having his head in the clouds so much, Kovu stared at his own shadow, dancing upon the wall of Scar's old den.

-"Hey! _Daydreamer_! You comin' or what?" – his sister yelled at him again, and this time he was forced to abandon his meditations and follow.

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**AN: I really like the character of Vitani. IMHO, she's one of the neglected figures both on screen and in the fanfics, so I guess that I'll give her a bit more room on the stage of this particular story. So is she going to be a good girl or more Zira-like? The future of Simba's pride depends on it. New surprises coming soon. In the meantime, reviews will be appreciated and will encourage me to work a little faster with the keyboard XD**


	6. The Shattered Illusions

**AN: Well what do you know, I actually managed to update both of my stories today. XD Once again, sorry for the wait...**

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**Chapter 6 – The Shattered Illusions**

The tall, dry and devoid of plant-life walls of the gorge reflected the silent whisper of the evening breeze. The sound was delicate and soothing, which was why the usually busy huntress liked to come here from time to time to rest and gain a little distance to her everyday duties and troubles. Step by step, Vitani wandered among the rocks, not really paying attention to anything else but to the echoing sound of her own paws as she put them on the ground, what ensured her that she was alone. Being alone was what she truly enjoyed, and since lately she didn't quite have much time for that luxury, she tried to alienate herself from the noisy crowd whenever it was possible. Among the steep canyons of the Pridelands, she was undisturbed. She didn't believe in the other lions' senseless superstition that called the gorge a cursed and dangerous place. She didn't care if king Mufasa, and not so long ago even her own brother and mother, died inside it suffering a horrible end. Okay, it was tragic, but how could that even influence her life now? She couldn't understand. As well as many other things that people tend to say and believe in, it was nonsense.

Emerged in meditations of the same or similar kind, Vitani shivered to hear a loud, clearly recognizable hiss behind her back. Well, even though her eyes went wide, she wasn't scared. Oh no, Vitani was simply surprised to hear the sound of another living being in this deserted and abandoned hideout of hers.

And so, more out of curiosity than caution, she broke away from her meditations, strained her ears and started to search. The hissing sound was repeated and soon she was able to locate a big pile of rocks which seemed to have some sort of pesky reptile hidden behind it. Not really having anything more to do, the lioness decided to look into the matter and maybe play a little with the scaled animal to kill the time before she would have to go back to Pride Rock. Adopting a sneaking position, slowly she approached the rocks, hearing that even despite that the snake still managed to notice her, as his hisses became louder and more alarming. But she didn't care- if he could see her than so should she, and because she didn't, she decided to lead this game of hide-and-seek to the end. Keeping herself down, careful not to move any loose stone with her feet, Vitani circled around the rocky heap, expecting to finally see the creature on the other side. But when she was already there, she couldn't see anyone. The source of the hissing sound, that was now echoing from the walls of the gorge, became impossible to locate.

The huntress felt confused and irritated- _where could that darn reptile be?_ – she asked herself in her mind. Due to the fact that snakes do not leave a scent, with the senses of both smell and sight rendered useless, she felt her hunting abilities failing her. And Vitani had always considered herself a huntress of top skill, which was why now finding the snake became to her a question of honor.

_-"Gotcha!"_ – she said, suddenly looking behind one of the bigger boulders. But all she saw there was a colony of ants. Slowly she was starting to feel angry. Then, to her utmost surprise, she also felt something else that made her groan with self-disappointment.

It didn't really hurt much, but the mere fact that she let herself get surprised and bitten by the snake she was trying to catch was hard to stand for reasons other than physical ones. Or at least the sting in her hind leg felt like a snake bite… Now she had to turn around in order to find out what kind of venom was she injected with- to see if she was going to have to prepare to die, or just to not be able to walk for a week. Sighing, she looked behind…

And then became totally paralyzed. Not because of the venom- no, what stung her was actually not a snake at all. What she was seeing now, and she was totally shocked that she didn't see it as she walked by just a few seconds ago, was a maimed, broken, wounded lion paw, scratching her in the calf with it's sharp claws. She jumped away as if burnt with fire at first, but something told her that she should approach. Something that was calling her name with the most unsuspected of voices…

-"_Vitani… Vitani…_"- called some faint, weak being that was the owner of the paw that grabbed her.

-"What the hell is this?" – she said aloud, expressing her inner insecurity in facing such a dreadful situation. But nonetheless, she approached the pile of rocks to see what was buried under it.

And as she did so, she wished that she hadn't been so brave and fled when she still had the chance. Beneath the heavy stones, crushed and mutilated just as she remembered him during the last time she ever saw him alive, there laid her older brother. Her _dead_ older brother.

-"_Nuka_?" – she stammered his name with a shaking, constricted voice that sounded kind of like she used to talk when she was still a cub. She was so scared she couldn't even hide it, and for her, that was _very_ unusual.

The specter coughed. As he attempted to speak, one could almost tell that his lungs were lacerated by his shattered ribcage. The look of his blood-shot, narrowed hazel eyes, so similar to their mother's, almost made Vitani flinch it terror.

-"_Tani… Tani, please! I don't have much… time. Listen to me… you and Kovu… you gotta beware! A lot's… gonna happen it the Pridelands. Remember what I told you… Beware! Please, Vitani… Listen to me…"_

And then she saw him giving away his last breath, just as he did months ago in the same gorge. For Vitani, it was the exact copy of that same horrible scene. Her terrified howl, reflected from the stone walls, raised high above the kingdom. As she was running away from what she had just witnessed, one thought could not exit her mind- the thought that left a feeling of shock to just how wrong she once used to be.

_I can't believe what I just saw with my own eyes… I can't believe this is true! I thought it can't be… but it is!_

* * *

Kovu gulped. Again. He probably wasn't waiting for more than ten minutes, but for him it always seemed to take forever when he was to meet with Simba. Awaiting the king to accept him in his cave, the lion sat nervously whipping the surface of Pride Rock with his tail. The matter he had to discuss wasn't really an important one, but still the way Simba would treat him, always expressing the authority he had over him, made Kovu approach his father-in-law with a sort of strange awe. Finally he raised his head, hearing the sound of Zazu flipping his wings and hovering in front of him for a moment to tell him that the king is awaiting him inside.

Kovu wanted to ask Simba about the old kings of the past. He himself knew little or nothing about them and most of his family had ensured him that it were all stupid fairytales, but still the lion felt that there was something more to it. And so he intended to find it out from the keeper of such knowledge- the king of the Pridelands himself. Kovu knew that Simba would often mention his ancestors, especially his father Mufasa, and he wanted to ask if there were also _other_ lions that resided in the stars after their death. And if one could in any ways… _contact_ with one of them.

Burdened with his shyness, he entered the den slowly. Simba was, as usual, lying in the center of the cave, surrounded by his lionesses out of which most were sleeping after the morning hunt, including queen Nala who slept peacefully beside her mate.

The king looked as if he had just woken up himself. Seeing Kovu standing in front of him to attention, what was a habit that came along with the lion's Outsider upbringing, he smiled a bit and spoke in a way that seemed almost suspiciously friendly to his young visitor.

-"Kovu! It's good you're here. How're you doing? Everything fine with Kiara?"

-"_Uhm_, hi Simba. Everything's… in order" – Kovu stammered, imagining just how dumb and awkward he sounds.

-"Aw, you don't have to come here looking as if you were a total stranger!" – the king said smiling. Then he rose from the ground, shook the dust off of his mane and made a few steps to see Kovu better among the shade of the den. Nala, not feeling the warmth of his body anymore, moaned silently emerged in her dreams. Simba looked Kovu in the eyes, but the latter turned his head. He didn't know why, but somehow he felt that the king's grin wasn't sincere, or that he was smiling from reasons that wouldn't be pleasant for himself.

-"You know, since you're here, I wanted to tell you something" – Simba addressed Kovu even though he sensed his reluctance. – "Heh, I suppose you're gonna be the first one to hear it anyway, but I suppose that you should know. I've been thinking about certain matters. The future of the Pridelands, that is. You see, my daughter seems to be quite happy with you by her side. I gotta say that I'm impressed by that- it was always pretty hard to please that little fox, if you get my point. And that's a good thing- there is nothing I want more than the good of my daughter…"

As Simba spoke, Kovu was wondering more and more about what was he hiding behind that smooth tone of his voice. There weren't really many occasions when the king would just praise him for nothing or be friendly without any particular reason. The young lion predicted this just to be a long prologue to something more significant.

-"… but naturally, as the king of these lands, I also have care for the future of the whole pride. I am not going to be around forever, and since the moment when I'll be made to take my part in the Circle of Life might come unexpectedly, I decided to make certain… preparations. I can see that you're pondering all about it, so let me just cut to the chase. Kovu, you know that I do not have a male heir of my own, don't you?"

That mere sentence made the former Outsider's eyes go wide and his heart-beat speed up to the velocity of a cheetah. He couldn't believe his ears. Was Simba about to show him that he indeed trusted him more than what everyone around's been telling him? Was he going to announce his son-in-law to be his… successor in reign? Was he going to make him and Kiara the future king and queen of the Pridelands? Somewhere, in his deepest dreams, Kovu hoped that to happen one day. And now it was happening before his very eyes.

Simba stood in front of him, having the light of the sun that shone inside the cave illuminating him from behind. He was smiling, and now also the younger lion smiled as well, awaiting for a most fortunate announcement.

-"It took me a long time to make this decision, and twice as much to talk Nala into it" – said the king. – "But now that it's been determined, I'm happy to tell you…"

Kovu held his breath. Simba bared his fangs in a grin.

-"… I'm happy to tell you that Nala and I are going to have another cub."

-"_What?"_ – Kovu yelped. That was not what he was expecting…

-"_Heh-heh_, don't worry, my queen isn't pregnant just yet. But when she finally does give birth to our son, or at least I hope that it will be a son, the little guy is going to become my successor to the throne. But even if the first one's gonna be a girl, no matter- we can always try again, _heh-heh_... And I also think that it will be a good time for having cubs since _mine_ are going to have _yours_ as playmates. Right, Kovu? _Heh_, c'mon, you can tell me if I am to become a grandfather soon."

_A son? A successor? Try again? Playmates? **My cubs? Grandfather?** Is this guy out of his mind?_

Kovu's jaw almost hit the floor. It wasn't only that the though that Simba wasn't going to make _him_ the future king of the Pridelands burned inside him surprisingly painfully. There were also other things that made anger appear inside him- the fact that Kiara wasn't pregnant as well, and that Simba seemed to be mocking him that he was going to have cubs sooner than him, just like he was seemingly enjoying to observe how his son-in-law took the news that he was not going to be the king.

-"I can see you're speechless. Well, that is a surprise, I gotta admit it…" - said the king, and Kovu couldn't let go of the impression that his words and the grin on his face were overflown with mockery.

-"And what about Kiara?" – Kovu asked the only reasonable question he could possibly think of as to not express just how angry he was.

-"Kiara? Well, you tell me. I'm expecting to hear that you've made her a happy mother. But if you're talking about her position in the pride, well than I can assure you that she is going to stay a princess forever."

Simba might have thought this assurance to be conciliatory for Kovu, but it wasn't. In fact, it only enhanced his inner rage. The young lion turned his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and how these things proved his dreams to be foolish and naive. He chuckled, but it was only to fool Simba that he was feeling happy for being the first one to hear his announcement.

-"You couldn't have thought of this yourself. Convince it- you've been talking to the stars again, haven't you?"

The king took it as a joke.

-"Ha! As a matter of fact I did! I always consult the old kings before making important decisions in ruling the kingdom. And this time I have a feeling that my father would approve to what I am planning. Furthermore, I'm thinking that it would be good to put my plan in motion right now. _Uhm_… if you'd be so good as to leave me and the queen alone…"

-"You can't be serious…" - Kovu snorted.

But Simba was serious. Sending him a last communicative smile, he made his way to the middle of his stone palace.

-"_Ladies_!" – he called, waking the lionesses. – "I really hate to spoil your rest, but may I please ask you to leave?"

His subordinate huntresses, though reluctant, rose lazily from the ground and, whispering between themselves, started exiting the cave one by one.

-"Not you, Nala" – the king addressed his mate, fawning over her side to her surprise.

-"Simba! What's gotten into you?" – she gasped.

Kovu considered the last sentence as his signal to leave as well. And so he did- as fast as he possibly could.

* * *

**AN: Oh crap! Simba's not going to make Kovu his heir! Now must Scar and Zira be pissed...**

**Most sequels have new cubs in them. Simba wants new cubs, but are there gonna be any? What's Kovu gonna do now? He thought that after joining Kiara's pride she and him were on their way to become the happily ruling pair of the Pridelands, but the present king ended that dream. And what about Vitani? What was the ghost of poor Nuka warning her about? And what in the world is Elkanah planning?  
**

**Man, I'm starting to become curious myself XD  
**


	7. The Eternal Conflict

**AN: Here's a quick update for a change.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – The Eternal Conflict**

Mufasa was outraged. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a way in which the spirit of his brother could have gotten out of hell, but judging from the raging flames in Scar's eyes, ten times more intense than when he was alive, he supposed that he had just rammed down the very gates somehow. _How could Kwanza possibly let something like this happen here?_ – he asked himself, sighing from having to listen to the dead tyrant's furious remarks.

-"_Who do you think you are? And what were you even thinking?_" – Scar yelled, putting Mufasa in a state of startled shock. – "_Must you always do everything to get in my way, even after death? Must I be sentenced to this inferno of standing your insolent malice for all eternity? You will fail eventually, I hope that you are conscious of that!_"

The dark specter looked as if he wanted to rip the luminous one to pieces. Too bad there wasn't anything he could rip.

-"_For all things' sake, Scar! Calm down!" _– Mufasa attempted to speak reasonably, even though he was starting to become mad himself. - _"How am I supposed to know what you are talking about if you don't tell it to me?_"

-"_Do not play the role of a total __**idiot**__, brother! I know you're not as stupid as you look! You broke the rules! Convince it!_"

The late king of the Pridelands faked a laugh.

-"_Heh, I didn't know that we were taking part in a game…_"

-"_You know damn well what __**game **__I am talking about!_"

-"_In that case, I didn't know there __**were**__ any rules_!"

-"_You're testing my patience! No-one said anything about making yourself visible and giving orders to the living, which is exactly what you did with that flea-infested son of yours! You have no idea how furious Zira was…"_

-"_My son is __**not**__ flea-infested and I did __**not**__ order him to do anything! True, I did show myself to him in a dream, but all I did was to give him a few __**suggestions**__. After all, isn't that female of yours guilty of the same crime? And Nuka along with her?_"

Scar growled.

-"_**Rah**__! Kovu __**will **__become king, Mufasa, one way or the other! And you better pray that your foolish actions will not lead to Simba taking a quick trip down as he will descend the throne before he can even sire new life to take his place." _– failing to notice any concern in his brother's appearance, he calmed down a bit himself. – _"Fine, have it your way then. From now on, there are no rules in this game. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with that doleful retard, Nuka…_"

-"_You are excused_" – Mufasa uttered to him with an offended gaze as they parted.

* * *

Kovu was rolling on the ground at Pride Rock, having another one of his bad dreams. This time, it took place back in the Outlands- he was sitting in the termite mound, surrounded by his growling pridesisters. Zira, his mother and their commander, was circling around him, the militant fire blazing in her eyes. She was screaming words that echoed in his mind, raising a wave of wild rage that inebriated his senses, making him feel the lust for blood.

-"_What is your destiny?_" – the wicked voice urged him to answer.

-"_I will avenge Scar… take his place in the Pridelands_" – he was shocked with the easiness with which he spoke the words, and with the will he still had inside him to actually make that assurance come true.

-"_Yes_!" – Zira hissed with satisfaction. – "_What have I taught you?_"

-"_Simba is the enemy_" – he said it again. And, again, he started to believe in what he said.

-"_And what… must… you… do_?" – his mother gasped in anticipation.

A million thoughts appeared in his mind. Was Simba really a bad ruler? He treated him like dirt, but was he really so much of a tyrant? Well, his hunting laws _were_ kind of unreasonable… He was still unbearably possessive of his daughter… And now he didn't even want to make Kiara the queen of this land! And he didn't want _Kovu_ to become the king! Why? Why did he do that? Kovu was a far better hunter, much stronger, much more appropriate…

-"_I… must… __**kill**__ him_!" – he finally squeezed the words through his clenched fangs.

And then both the lionesses and the mound disappeared. There was just him, and a much smaller Simba in front of him, looking more like a cub than like what his appearance was in real life. The little lion quivered before the giant Kovu who bore a scar on his face and a crown upon his head, shaking and begging for mercy.

-"_No, Kovu! Please, have mercy!_" – Simba shrieked.

Then a voice of Zira spoke, angry and demanding, as she appeared in the background cutting off his way of escape.

-"_No, Simba! Not this time! You do not deserve to be pardoned. __**Kovu!**__ Complete your destiny!_"

With the soundtrack of a million laughing voices, among which Zira's was the loudest, Kovu raised his clawed paw, making Simba gaze at it in terror. Suddenly, the king's tiny body grew a pair of wings and he transformed to something like a big termite. Baring his teeth in a grin, Kovu put his paw down, squashing him with a loud splat.

And then he woke up.

He almost couldn't catch his breath, shocked with what he had just witnessed. Was that really what he wanted to do? No! Simba wasn't a bad king! He didn't deserve to die! Kovu couldn't be so selfish to think that the king was evil only because he banned warthog hunting and didn't want to make him his successor…

Or maybe…?

Kovu wasn't sure anymore. It was almost like something was making him think certain things, and slowly he was starting to accept them as his own. A sensation that he'd known much too well from his past…

It was the voice of Kiara that snapped him out of his daze.

-"Whuss wrong, honey?" – she mumbled wearily, awaken by his sudden motion.

-"_Uhm_, nothing! Nothing, darling. I was just having… a nightmare, that's all" – he awkwardly explained himself, whispering as to not disturb the other lions who were sleeping inside the cave.

-"Oh. Come back t'sleep, then. We need rest b'fore th'hunt t'morrow…" – his mate encouraged him to lie back down beside him, blindly reaching out with her paw and tapping him at the side.

-"Yeah… yeah, right away" – he gasped, feeling a little calmer. As he embraced Kiara and closed his eyes, he decided that all of the experiences he'd had recently called for firm actions in order to ensure a good future for his beloved and himself. But of that he would take care not sooner than tomorrow.

* * *

**AN: Oops, things are getting complicated… Of course, Kovu doesn't really want to kill Simba, but the spirits of his ancestors will do anything to make him change his mind again. By what dirty means will they try to achieve that? It'll take more than just nightmares, obviously.**


	8. The Rival Shaman

**Chapter 8 – The Rival Shaman**

Kovu and Vitani, running with comparable haste, met each other around Scar's old den, entering the area from opposite directions. Before they were even able to speak, first they had to catch their breath. The first one to ask was Kovu.

-"Vitani… what's… going on?" – he said, still panting. – "The lionesses told me that you asked for a day off from hunting today so that you could meet me. What's up?"

His sister looked kind of strange. Usually, there weren't many things that could disturb her, and even then she would usually fall into an ugly state of fury, but she was not angry this time. She looked more as if she was badly concerned with something- something she wanted to reveal to Kovu in private.

-"Listen to me! I didn't want to talk about this near the others. They'd think that I'm crazy!"

Her brother looked at her and wondered. Seldom did Vitani act like this… With her eyes open wide, she continued.

-"I'm expecting at least you to believe me. It wasn't something rotten I ate or anything, and I know that I've never believed in such things… but… _Uh_, this feels so stupid. Kovu, remember when you mentioned your dreams? And when you asked me if we can actually… _get in touch_ with the ones we dream about? Even if they're… _dead_?"

Now Kovu was the one who was starting to feel concerned.

-"_Uhm_, yeah, I remember that. You said that dreams aren't true- that's what we've always been taught to believe…"

-"I saw Nuka!" – she nearly spat the words in his face, interrupting him and then pausing for a while, observing the shock that appeared upon his face. – "I realy saw him, and it wasn't a dream. He was there, in the gorge, just as we both saw him just before he died. But he wasn't dead. He even… spoke to me."

Never before had Kovu seen his sister so… scared? No. Vitani was never scared. She was just… _thrilled_.

-"What did he say?" – he asked her in a tone that indicated that he believed her.

-"He said… He warned us to beware. You and me. That… _things_ are going to happen it the Pridelands."

-"Oh yeah, they sure will…" – Kovu said quietly, thinking about what he'd heard from Simba the other day. But for now he wanted to keep that a secret.

-"Tani, remember when you told me that you've had dreams about mother lately?"

-"_Uhm_, yeah, that's right."

-"Well, can you tell me what were those dreams about?"

The lioness bit her lip. Her brother could see that what she was about to tell him were not just regular dreams…

-"They were flashbacks from the past, mostly. From training and from just before the war. But… there was also something new in them. Mother used the same words, she was giving me the same orders like before, only that… somehow I felt that what she was talking about concerned not the past, but the present."

Kovu looked deep into her blue eyes, his face being dead serious.

-"What did Zira order you to do?" – he asked.

-"She told me to kill Simba. I don't know why. Yeah, the king is a real pain in the rump sometimes, but still… I know that she wanted it, I know that the obsession finally lead her to madness. But now we live in peace with the Pridelanders. It's a shame mother isn't around to see how we're doing… Right, but then again, I'm starting to believe that maybe she_ is_ around here somewhere! Remember how she used to address the spirit of Scar? And now that thing with Nuka… To be honest with you, I feel totally lost in all of this. What do you think?"

Her brother listened to her confession carefully. It was a tough situation, true. How come did Vitani and him suddenly started to have such similar visions? He still didn't have a clue, but fortunately he felt that maybe he was starting to see what could help them in solving this mystery. But for now, he needed time.

-"Sorry, Vitani. Can we talk about this later sometime? I have a few places I need to go…" – he said, already turning around.

-"_Uh_, sure, I guess. I can see you're feeling lost as well. Okay, see ya later. I suppose that now I have to find something to do. _Hm_, maybe I should go and scare the life out of Timon and Pumbaa again? Yeah, I think that's what I'll do…"

She said the last sentences to herself, as Kovu was already on his way to… wherever he went.

* * *

Kovu took the whole day to investigate the gorge and the small valley where he'd met Elkanah for the first time. He was desperate to ask the reptile shaman a few important questions, but unfortunately, the snake was nowhere to be found. Kovu had walked throughout the whole area with his nose near the ground and asked nearly every living being for him, but it was no use- no-one had seen him, no-one had even known of his existence. When dust was beginning to fall, hungry and angry, Kovu decided that there was only one more place he could go. Though he hated to admit it, right now he needed the help of a person who he'd particularly disliked- namely, the shaman Rafiki.

The mandrill lived atop a big baobab tree, quite some time of walking distance away from the borders of the Pridelands. Simba had banned anyone from his pride to exit the kingdom without his permission, but truth be told, Kovu wasn't very concerned with it right now. And besides, he'd told Kiara that he had important matters to take care of that day.

So some time later he was already at the bottom of the tree. He knew that the shaman usually preferred to stay in his safe asylum among the branches than threatening his old and frail self with being eaten by the first possible carnivore that walked the ground. When Kovu raised his head, he couldn't see any signs of life, but since he could feel the mandrill's scent, he decided to call for him to come. And therefore, he roared.

-"_Aye, aye_! Whot eh horrible beast disturbs my peace!" – a familiar voice answered him with a note of staged irritation.

-"Cut the monkey business, Rafiki! It's me! Come down, I gotta talk to you!"

-"_Heh-heh_! Kovoo! What might bring yoo here, Upendi-boy? So far away from Kiara so late in de evening? _Tsk-tsk_… not good for as young a mate as yoo!"

As usual, the trusted advisor of the lion kings couldn't stay serious for a single minute. That was exactly why Kovu did not exactly enjoy coming in contact with him. But this time it was important, so he just had to bite his tongue.

-"_Uhh…"_ – sighed the lion, imagining how long was this going to take. – "As much as she hates it, Kiara's fine under her father's protection. It's you who I need right now! C'mon, this is important! I don't want to spend the night under this baobab."

-"Den why donchoo climb up here to me!" – Rafiki answered in a way that made Kovu even angrier. He knew very well that it was much easier for him to come down, but if the shaman insisted on wanting to have a sample of his climbing abilities, then so be it.

Trying to ignore his rumbling stomach, the lion crouched to prepare to ascend the baobab. And Kovu was no weakling in terms of physical strength or agility- Zira had trained him well, maybe even better than Rafiki had thought. The tree was tall, but when the mandrill looked down from the top curiously, he was able to experience that it took only one, two, three strong and fast leaps for the young feline to already be inside of his seemingly impenetrable dominion. Shocked, the ape made a step backwards in order not to get knocked down by this sudden invader, releasing his precious staff. That got him entangled in the long vines that hung down from the branches, and Kovu used that moment to knock him down to the ground. Trapping the shaman under the weight of his body, yet careful not to hurt him too much, he grinned right in his wrinkled face.

-"_Ha_, you didn't think I would actually make it up here, did ya?"

Rafiki didn't really look frightened, but his jolliness also left him without a trace.

-"_Ey_! Easy wit dese claws of yours, okay? I'm listening! No need to get all hostile, yoo know!"

That was exactly the effect that Kovu intended to achieve. Now he spoke with the sure feeling that he was going to be heard, not having to fear about getting knocked over the head with a piece of wood.

-"Fine, Rafiki. I promise not to hurt you and to let you go as soon as you answer my question. You see, there is a certain… animal that I'm looking for. I know that you're simply a bag of useful info. And let me tell you more- the guy is, so to speak, of your profession, so I expect that you'll be happy to tell me all you know about him and then lead me so that I can talk to him myself. I've been looking for him all day long, so right now I am very _eager_ to know that, if you get my point."

Thrown at the lion's mercy, the mandrill only nodded passionlessly.

-"What do yoo wont to know?" – he asked.

-"_Elkanah_. I want the snake called Elkanah. Does this name sound familiar to you?"

The sound of the name did make Rafiki frown, what ensured Kovu that he indeed knew something and that this visit would not be for nothing.

-"De _dark shaman_? What do yoo have to do wit dat slimy crawler?" – the mandrill addressed him with a loud rebuke, but after getting pressed against the ground a little bit, he silenced.

-"_I'm_ the one who's asking questions here!" – Kovu put him back into his place. – "Who is he and where can I find him? Tell that to me and then you're free."

Rafiki wasn't very pleased with this situation. In fact, he was clearly angry with Kovu's behavior and the lion knew that sooner or later he would run to tell Simba all about it. But for now Kovu didn't trouble himself with it.

-"Elkanah is an ancient serpent, a being of dark heart and mysterious ways. He is a shaman, sort of like I am, wit much knowledge about de world, only dat he prefers to keep in touch not wit de good old kings, bot wit de dark spirits! He's been around de royal family even longer than me, bot hardly ever did any of de lions actually use hees services. Except, of course, for Scar…"

-"He was your rival, wasn't he?" – Kovu asked smartly. After being interrupted with such a question, Rafiki looked truly offended.

-"Not a rival! Dere wos no competition. Scar never liked me, so after he brutally took de life of Mufasa and stole hees brotha's trone, he jost shooed me away. Den all it took was for Elkanah to crawl over to heem at Pride Rock and exercise hees dark profession wit de approval of de usurper… He ees evel, Kovoo! Listen to me, yoo do not wont to have anything to do wit dat snake!"

-"Tell me where he is!" – again Kovu interrupted and pressed Rafiki to the ground.

-"I don't know and I don't _wont_ to know! Now let me go, you're hurting me!"

-"You are a _scholar_, aren't you? I have no idea where these kinds of snakes usually reside, but_ you_ should! And furthermore, aren't you also a _shaman_? Contact the old kings, maybe they'll answer!"

Rafiki looked at him with a gaze of displeasure in his old eyes.

-"Dese tings do not work like dis…" – he sighed, turning his head. – "Bot if yoo wish to find a dark shaman… I recommend yoo to go where de dark spirits are!"

-"And where are the dark spirits?" – Kovu asked, confused with the mandrill's mysterious babble.

-"Oh I know where you could find at least one!"

-"Meaning?"

-"Go to de river. Try to find de spot where your mother died."

Actually, Rafiki said that partially as a joke. But the roar he heard afterwards, so loud that he had to cover up his ears, made him sure that Kovu wasn't amused with it in the least. For a long moment of uncertainty, the mandrill gazed at the lion's sharp fangs that were displayed right in front of his nose. He felt shivers go down his spine… It was a great relief to hear Kovu cease to growl finally, and when the weight that had been crushing him was finally lifted when the lion rose and let him go was a real relief, not only for his old body.

Without another word, Kovu turned around and jumped down from the top of the baobab, disappearing into the darkness of the night. Left alone, Rafiki picked up his staff from the ground and then lifted his sad eyes towards the stars.

-"_Oh,_ Mufasa… Wos it really soch a good idea wit dat Kovoo guy? I know, I know he had stopped de war… Bot now he seeks answers about hees past, looking in all de wrong places! Wot will he find? Oh my friend, I am scared again… Wot oder spirits wotch ova dees land? I jost hope dat your son will find de wisdom to protect us all, especially hees family…"

A rush of wind came and dispelled the mandrill's white beard. It was a cold and unpleasant breeze that made him shiver- a sign of an upcoming storm.

* * *

**AN: Oops. Kovu wants to play a dangerous game to get the answers he wants. What will it be? What will be the consequences? Stay tuned, review to make me happy and quicker in publishing XD**


	9. The Dark Ritual

**Chapter 9 – The Dark Ritual**

It was exactly the same spot. West of Pride Rock. By the river. Next to an old, dried up tree trunk. The place where they had found Zira's body.

After the fateful day of the battle between the Pridelanders and the Outsiders, the same day when Kovu had lost his mother and brother, there came a time of peace in the kingdom. But the peace lasted for only as long as his betrothal ceremony with Kiara. After the celebrations ended, the lionesses from the Outlands, even though they had just been welcomed to their new home, decided that their duty now was to mourn over Nuka and Zira, their former leader. Simba said that it wasn't necessary, but after being pressed by Vitani and the queen, he agreed. The Outsiders, all together, rushed to search the riverbed. And this was the place where they found her- and this was where they cried, the broken carcass of Zira being a picture of the woeful state of the life of both her and her followers.

Kovu hadn't been there ever since. Of course, after such a long time, there wasn't anthing left of the body. The flesh had been picked up by carrion eaters, the bones scattered and lost…

So was there still anything left of Zira? Did he have any real reason to be here? Though much of himself was telling him that it was indeed futile, he was still carrying a dim light of hope that the truth was different.

There was nothing and no-one around. No tracks. No scents. Yet still he couldn't drop the feeling that he wasn't alone. Rafiki had given him his instructions, and the mandrill better prey to the old kings that this would work. Kovu needed answers. And so, even if he was doing it against himself to some extent, he had to try.

-"_Elkanah_!" – he called aloud, his voice lifting above the savanna. He didn't really think that he would get an answer, but he did.

-"_Sss_…" – Kovu almost cringed when he heard the hiss right by his side. Somehow, the black-and-orange snake materialized himself out of nowhere, gazing at him closely as he overcame his first shock. Then the reptile spoke. – "Why are you calling my name, Kovu? Aren't you rather looking for sssomeone elssse?"

The lion didn't like riddles.

-"Of course I'm looking for you!" – he uttered with irritation. – "I want answers, shaman! I want to know why my sister and I are seeing the same things- these shadows from our past. And what part are you playing in all of this. What do you want with us anyway?"

Elkanah waited a while before answering, sticking out his tongue a few times.

-"And what do _you_ want with _me_, Kovu? Aren't you the one who'sss looking for me?"

The lion didn't answer, not quite sure about what he should say. Thus the snake continued.

-"Like I have already sssaid, you're really looking for sssomeone elssse" – he crawled up to the edge of the river and pointed with his head at the surface of the water. – "Your mother isss exssspecting you."

-"_What_?" – Kovu gasped, startled. – "How did you… How did you know that?"

-"_Tsk-tsk_, not too bright. She told me that, obviousssly."

It was all just too weird. Elkanah encouraged him to approach the river, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to. After all, that was the exact same spot where he'd seen his mother in his first dream. In the end, his curiosity was what conquered him.

He looked down at the current. There was nothing out of the ordinary there.

-"What should I do now?" – he turned towards the serpent shaman.

-"_Hm-hm_…" – Elkanah laughed silently, though it didn't show on his face. – "You mussst be thirsssty, right? Go on, Kovu. Take a drink, don't be ssscared. It'sss only water…"

The lion looked at the river again. Truly, the water was cool and clean enough to see the bottom clearly. Hesitating a bit, he stooped down and took a first lap. Then he looked back at Elkanah. The snake was motionless, nothing happened. So then he continued to drink, and when he did, the serpent opened his mouth and quickly let a drop of his venom fall into the river. As he recited some arcane incantation, Kovu swallowed the poison, immediately lifting his head up as soon as he felt it's bitter taste.

The world started to turn around and the lion groaned. He felt nauseous, the blur and mist which were the only things he was seeing ensuring him that maybe this wasn't such a good idea… For a second he thought that he should have put his former promise into practice and ripped the serpent's head clean off, but only a few seconds later everything came back to normal. _Almost_ everything. When he was able to see clearly again, he found himself standing at the edge of the river, only that Elkanah was nowhere to be found… And another thing- the river also didn't look the same. It looked more like a sea of ice mixed with fire…

A whole inferno burned before his very eyes. For some reason, it was kind of… fascinating to gaze at it. The endless pit, filled with flames more intense than he'd ever seen before…

This is when he saw _her_ again. Emerging from the fire, almost as if she was a part of it now. Her eyes blazing, her voice stertorous, agonic, but still keeping the same strength that it had when she was alive.

-"_My dear, sweet child_…" – she addressed him in the same way she used to when he was a cub, only in these circumstances it sounded really grotesque and sent shivers down his spine… - "_So you have not forgotten me! I'm so pleased…"_

-"Is it… really you, mother?" – Kovu mumbled awkwardly, again feeling as scared of her as he had almost always been.

-"_Why, of course! My body might have passed away, but my spirit lives on… as miserable as it is._"

-"Why do you haunt us, mother?" – he asked with as much reproach as he could possibly contain in his words.

-"_**Haunt**__ you?_" – Zira answered with surprise. – _"I wouldn't call it that way. Is it strange for a parent to watch over her children?"_

-"No, but you're doing much more than that!"

-"_True. But you can't possibly say that you haven't had certain __**meditations**__ of your own, can you? You're slowly starting to feel that Simba's not as noble and righteous as you've once thought. Especially after he announced that he didn't want the mate of his own daughter to become his heir…"_

-"You _know_ about that?" – Kovu gasped with shock.

-"_Heh-heh, yeees. __**We**__ know a lot."_

-"What do you mean by _we_?"

-"_Why, me and Scar, of course. Haven't I mentioned that death reunited me with my beloved?"_

Zira lead out a gruesome chuckle, and as she continued to laugh Kovu's heart became more and more filled with fear. He was almost expecting the dark spirit of his stepfather to emerge from beyond the flames of hell right behind his mother. Good thing nothing like that happened.

-"_Heh-heh… Yes, Kovu. You might not be Simba's heir, but don't you be in the least bit concerned with that. Because you are, and always will be, the heir of king Scar."_

That was exactly what Kovu feared. His dark legacy… the strange darkness inside him which he always failed to escape. Suddenly, he remembered a question he wanted to ask his mother when she was still alive, but never actually found the courage to do that. Until now.

-"Why did you love him, mother?"

-"_What?"_

-"You heard what I said. Why did you love Scar?"

Zira laughed again.

-"_My dear child, but I still do! And I have ever since I saw him for the first time…"_

Her image was replaced before Kovu's eyes with the vision of a scrawny young lioness, the leader of a pride consisting solely of females except for maybe one meager cub by her side. The lioness looked as if she was pregnant, and at the moment she was talking with a dark furred male, quite older than herself, who had a whole cohort of laughing hyenas right behind his back… The lion was Scar, and the leader of the females was his mother. As he observed the scene, Zira explained it in the background.

-"_… we were desperate in those days. Forced to leave our homeland and close to starvation, the king we heard about was the only one to whom we could turn. We had to overcome our pride to ask Scar for help, but when we did, he graciously accepted us into the Pridelands just like a just ruler should do, even though it was much to his own lionesses' dissatisfaction. Then he made me his queen and when Vitani and you were born, he chose you to be his successor. Of course, later Simba ruined everything, leading to my beloved's death and our second exile, but neither that nor my own death can change the fact that you are still the rightful heir for the throne."_

Zira's face reappeared before Kovu's eyes. After hearing such a tale, he felt the urge to ask one question.

_But did Scar ever love **you**, mother? _

Unfortunately, for that he just didn't have enough courage. Instead, he asked something else.

-"Okay, this I can understand. But why is it so important for me to be the king? Isn't this only about your own ambition?"

-"_Well, don't __**you**__ want to be the king?"_

It was a trick question for the lion…

-"_Uhm…_ well, first of all I want Kiara to be happy."

-"_And that is exactly what the matter is! Of course you must agree with me that it is natural for every mother to want the good of her children, but this is not only about kings and successions." _– the tone of her voice surprisingly changed to the one of a concerned mother. –_ "No, Kovu! Your lives are in danger! Please, you must listen to me for your own good!"_

The lion frowned.

-"What are you talking about?"

-"_Simba is blind. He has failed to notice the approaching storm that will wipe out his pride if you and Vitani do not act swiftly! I have trained you to become warriors, and this is the time when your skills will be put to the test. Simba's too weak, but you shall succeed and triumph to take your place as the ruler of this land. Kovu! The hyenas have returned, and they're thirsty for lion blood!"_

The lion could barely believe what he was hearing.

-"_Hyenas_? But I thought your lionesses chased them away after we were exiled. And besides, much of them died, they wouldn't stand a chance to face the Pridelanders in open battle…"

-"_Don't let yourself be as foolish as Simba is! Their clans have united and are planning a secret assault, hidden in the Elephant Graveyard. Nobody goes there anymore, and even if anyone would, he would be immediately devoured by the scouts. Go there! See for yourself, if you dare! Save your pride before it's too late!"_

-"Wait a minute! Was this what Nuka was trying to warn Vitani about?"

Zira's reaction was particularly aggressive. She practically got gulfed up in an explosion of raging fire.

-"_Nuka's nothing but a poor idiot! Listen to me! I am your mother, Kovu! I will not let Simba ruin your life as well. There's enough hellfire for me already…"_

And then, surprisingly, Zira started to cry. She wept just like he remembered her do after Scar's death. The lion supposed she was probably imagining what would happen if the hyenas suddenly attacked Pride Rock, slaughtering the rest of her family that was still alive…

-"Don't cry, mother…" – he mumbled silently, himself feeling sorry for her and for the whole situation they were in.

When Zira heard his words, she ceased to sob and even smiled a bit. She gazed at him with the eyes of a young lioness, looking just like she did just after his birth. Once again, she stretched out her paws and invited her son to fall into her embrace. Kovu hesitated, but only for a moment. After that he held her tightly, submerging delicately in the cool depth of the water.

* * *

**AN: Ooh, things are getting dark and mysterious, ain't they? XD So is Kovu realy going to give into his dark legacy? Is Simba really threatening the good of the Pridelands with his carelessness or is this all just a big lie? Are we going to witness another fight for the throne? That's yet before us to find out.**

**My story is going to contain new, original events, but contact with the spirits of the past also does give the thrilling opportunity to look into the secrets of the past. We've already had the chance to whitness Kovu's presentation and the moment when Zira joined Scar's pride... so what more will be revealed? Be patient. You won't regret it.  
**


	10. The Forgotten Threat

**AN: Finally, I managed to update this story! Sorry guys, you know how it is- all those Christmas preparations and all that... I suppose you also didn't have much time for reading fanfiction lately, concentrating on more importans stuff. So now, after a happy Christmas, we may continue XD.**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – The Forgotten Threat**

On the next day after his meeting with Elkanah and, seemingly, the ghost of Zira, Kovu was trying as hard as he could not to get in the way of anyone at Pride Rock. He had been gone for quite some time, missing much of his duties, and additionally the reasons were so complicated that he didn't really want to waste his time for explaining of what he wasn't sure what to think himself. He _barely_ managed to calm Kiara down after he got back from the river so late that she was already asleep and had to somehow excuse himself in the morning. But most of all, he was trying to avoid Simba. It wasn't just because he knew that the king would be concerned about his recent absence and strange behavior. After what Kovu had heard from his mother, he just wasn't in the mood to speak with the old lion at all.

But, of course, it would be too much luck if he managed to be around Pride Rock all day and not get spotted by it's ruler…

It was already late in the afternoon and Kovu was just attempting to slip out of the cave to go on another one of his mysterious trips when he heard someone who's voice was very familiar clearing his throat right behind his back.

-"_Ekhm_! Kovu, may I speak to you for a moment?" – said Simba in a tone that might have not had anger in it, but still sounded quite serious.

_Damn it… _- Kovu cursed in his mind and bit his lip as he turned around to face the king.

-"_Uhm… _Sorry Simba, but can this wait? I really got things to do, you know…"

-"What's the rush? Do you mind telling me what kind of _business_ is more important than revealing to me why haven't you been taking part in the hunts lately? You've hardly even been seen at Pride Rock for the past few days. I noticed it upsets Kiara and, frankly, I'm starting to become worried myself."

The young lion felt crushed with the king's demanding stare. It kind of reminded him of his mother… and also about how his mate would often describe her father as being possessive and bossy. Kovu didn't like that. He was far too mature for taking orders. This is why his answer was rather… unstable.

-"Don't you have other things to worry about?" – he uttered with a frown of irritation, quite surprisingly to the king. – "Your kingdom should be your main concern, not me. I'll be just fine."

And after saying that he just turned around scornfully, intending to leave, what made Simba extremely angry.

-"Don't turn your back at me, Kovu!" – he warned.

But the king's screams fell on deaf ears. Feeling humiliated and deeply offended by such disobedience he growled to himself, observing as his son-in-law jumped down the edge of Pride Rock.

-"My kingdom_ is_ my main concern… and that's why I'm starting to regret making you a part of it!"

* * *

During the long walk he had ahead of him Kovu was trying to calm himself down, but somehow he couldn't let go of thinking about Simba and the incompetent way in which he ruled his kingdom. The young lion was starting to believe that his sister's criticism didn't only come from her bad temper…

_Now I can see. That old chump's gonna lead his own kingdom to a disaster if he doesn't start using his brains! Uh, I hate to admit it, but mother was right… Simba is blind- he's so preoccupied with his own made-up problems that he ignores the real ones…_

He took a while to rest and observe the place of his destination that was already within minutes of walking distance. Then he wondered about the thoughts that appeared in his mind a second time. No, he was just aroused. Simba wasn't _that_ bad. After all, he'd accepted him as a rightful member of his pride… Well, he did that under certain conditions, but still… And his way of behaving did depend on the true care that he had for his family and all of the land, even if the effects weren't always as good as someone could wish…

_Erh, no, it's not like that. Simba isn't blind. He's just… very nearsighted, that's all. Maybe he just needs someone who has the guts to go beyond his tight ways of thinking. Well, I suppose I'm about to find out what dangers await me there… _

He lifted his eyes and stared a bit at the dark hills before him, not without a bit of hesitation.

_So how was it, mother? A pack so large that the scouts would devour any lion that would dare to show himself in their territory? I guess I'll just have to see for myself. Watch over me, okay?_

And then, feeling a faint, but yet tempting thrill of excitement, Kovu went on to enter the Elephant Graveyard.

He remembered this place from a few trips he took there with Vitani when they were both cubs. Nuka, even though he was the eldest of them, never wanted to join and would always try to forbid them from going there, explaining that the place was dangerous. Kovu still had a vivid vision of his older brother's tales in his mind. He was too young to remember it himself, but just after their exile, Zira and her lionesses started an open conflict with the remnants of Scar's army. The hyenas, after suffering an utter defeat at Pride Rock during Simba's return, relocated to their old dominion in the Graveyard. Too afraid to scavenge for food in the land of the new king who hated them, they started haunting the fields of the Outlands, stealing the prey from the banished lionesses, even though it was already scarce without their interference. Of course, Zira was furious and managed to kill a few hyenas herself, but they were persistent animals and kept on returning. Until she carried out a plan that was a final solution for the Outsiders' problem, that is. Kovu did not remember anything from that night besides having to stay alone in the termite mound along with his brother and sister, what was quite scary for a young cub, but later Nuka explained to Vitani and him that the lionesses were all off to the hyenas' lair. They executed a surprise assault and either killed most of the enemy pack or scared them away. That was why some of the Outsiders bore the scars of that battle until this very day, only if they weren't dead yet.

This was also why it was hard for Kovu to believe that the hyenas were back again. The stories he'd heard had a sound of victory in them. Nobody later even mentioned the hyenas and when he was young he even thought that now there wasn't a single one of them left upon the face of the earth. Well, as he said, he was now about to find out if that was indeed true.

The Elephant Graveyard looked just as Kovu remembered it- a dark, rocky plateau, devoid of life but full of fiery geysers and bones in all the shapes and sizes. Coming here was quite an adventure for a cub, but as he stealthfully wallowed among the barren, ash-covered paths, careful not to step into one of the many puddles of liquid fire, Kovu felt a bit intimidated, especially after what he'd heard.

_I should have taken Tani with me _– he said to himself. Considering that there might really be a whole horde of hungry carrion eaters behind every corner, it would have always been better to have an extra pair of claws by your side. Kovu wasn't a coward, but what he'd heard about hyenas mauling mature male lions to death was enough to make anyone alerted.

He almost had a heart attack when a small piece of rubble fell down from a big stone just beside him, making a lot of noise. But after he investigated it, there was nothing there. There was nothing anywhere. Only bones and dust.

_Gee, mother. You sure you were right about those hyenas? _– he asked half-humorously, joking on his own belief in what he was told in a dream by someone who was already dead. _Well, I guess all I have left is to look over that hill and I'll be on my way outa this creepy bone-yard._

Indeed, there was still a rocky ledge he hadn't investigated. The rock lifted high above something in the shape of a deep valley, and Kovu promised to himself that if he wouldn't be able to see anything disturbing from that lookout spot, he would know that his vision was false and that he could return home with a clear conscience.

The lion took a look at the end of the ledge. It was dark, but he was able to recognize a big, grey rock that stood there almost as if it was some kind of a monument that someone had placed there on purpose.

_Hmm, I wonder what that is? _– he asked himself. Not paying attention to keep quiet anymore, he made a few steps up the side of the ledge… and then he froze, gasping as he saw the supposed "rock" turning around to face him. It gazed at him for a while with it's black coals of eyes wide open, it's ugly face having the look of total shock, it's sharp-fanged jaw hanging low in a stupefying expression…

That was no rock. What Kovu saw sitting at the top of the ledge was a spotted hyena scout.

As soon as he was able to snap out of his own shock, the lion started to growl, what was a natural warning signal for him. The very sound of his voice made the other animal tremble with fear.

-"Oh crap…" – he yelped. – "It can't be… I-it just _can't_ be you! Wh-what am I, halucinatin'? Oh but it _is_ you, in'it?"

The hyena looked as if it was facing it's own death. Kovu made a step forward to frighten it even more, knowing that where was one of them, there was also a whole pack somewhere nearby… so he needed to sound as convincing as he could in order to get out of this alive.

-"Whoa! Okay, man! No need to get angry 'n all…" – a very awkward, surrendering smile appeared upon the guard's face as he started to retreat. Fortunately, he seemed to be a very old specimen- at least he wouldn't dare to fight on his own, thought the lion. – "I-I remember this was always your favorite place, boss. Heh, why you lookin' at me like that, I'm movin'! I'm mo- OOOOAAAH!" – the hyena howled as it made one step too much and fell down into the canyon and out of Kovu's sight. Then everything went silent.

-"Oh no… where did he go?" – the lion asked himself and quickly ran up the ledge to stand in the place where the scout had previously stood.

And then he froze again.

For a short time, for a mere part of a second, Kovu saw what exactly was inside the valley that was placed at the bottom of the ledge. It were hyenas. Hundreds of them, most asleep and some awake, walking wearily among the rocky crevices.

-"Impossible…" – he mumbled to himself. Just before he ran away, moving as fast as he could.

* * *

**AN: The filthy Felinoformia are back! Heh, I actually like the hyenas as characters, tho I mention them in my stories not so often. Well, it's time to change that! So the Pridelands are in big trouble and the king doesn't have a hunch. What will Kovu do about it? How will the evil spirits use this situation in order to obtain their goals? **

**Don't worry, it's not going to take as long as before for the next chapter to appear, I promise...  
**


	11. The Awful Vision

**Chapter 11 – The Awful Vision**

The old hyena got up from the ground with a loud groan, feeling a strong pain in his lower back. He shook his head, remembering that it must have came from the fall he experienced just after he saw the lion… Oh, right! The _lion_!

Although he was still aching all over, he started to run with desperate haste, almost as if one of the old skeletons got back to life and started to chase him. Sliding down the gravel at the edge of the valley, he reached the bottom and took the shortest path known to him in order to come back to the spot where his pack presently resided, hidden from curious eyes. As he went pass the guards, not paying attention to anything but to delivering his message as fast as he could, a few of his brethren snapped out of their slumber and raised their heads concerned with the whole commotion. But there was no time for explanations- things like these had to be immediately reported to their leader, or- as the animals themselves called her- their _matriarch_.

Slowing down a little, the old scout went under the shadow of great elephant ribs that covered his superior's lair like the leaves of a palm tree. At once he felt the eyes of her praetorians piercing him. The hyena was surrounded by her kin, males and females of all ages, at least half a dozen or so. As soon as they saw the grunt approaching their mother hastily, they let go of their bone-chewing, play-fighting and rolling on the ground to create a unison choir of warning growls. Even more intimidated, the scout stood to attention, the shivers that went down his spine having an effect also on the stability of his voice.

-"Uh, Sh-sh-shenzi? Listen up, I-I-I got s-sumthin' to tell ya…"

The matriarch raised her old, tired head and turned towards him a face that showed signs of many years and many fights. Gazing at him with her yellow eyes at first she was just examining him, trying to determine the cause of his alarmed behavior, later motioning to dismiss her guards.

Shenzi has been the pack's leader for years, even since from as far as before Scar's reign. After being exiled by Simba she was the general during the war with the Outsiders, and even though after the pack's shameful defeat she was lucky to even be alive, her later successful alliances with the neighboring clans and the resulting victories in the area north of the Pridelands made her not only a matriarch, but sort of a hyena empress who now commanded dozens of subordinates. The role she presently played made her important to her underlings, which gave her extra personal benefits and protection. But even though she was an experienced fighter, old, wise and also fat due to the honors she received as a ruler, she never forgot the old bound that connected her with the ones she once referred to as "friends".

-"Leave us alone!" – she said demandingly. At once, all of her spawn scattered around, howling and laughing in a typically hyaenine, loud and disgusting manner. When everything became silent, she encouraged her comrade to speak. -"You're lookin' quite shocked, Banzai. What's up? Dang, I haven't seen you like this since that night when those hags from the Outlands attacked us!"

Sensing that his fear was no game, she even put her paw on the old male's shoulder. After all, they were related to each other, even if within a hyena pack it was a bit hard to determine if someone was your half-brother or just your second cousin. Anyway, attempting to control the quake of his jaws, Banzai looked her in the eyes and started his report.

-"I-I-I was up at the look-out spot… y-y'know, at th-the ledge. I thought I h-heard sumthin' an when I turned around…" – Shenzi could see a frown of being scared to death appearing upon her comrade's face. – "I saw _Scar_! I though I was crazy, but he was there! H-he had the same black mane, and the green glow in his eyes… and the _scar_! I tell ya, it was him!"

Banzai looked as if he was about to cry, while Shenzi seemed more stupefied by his words and reaction.

-"Man, have you been eatin' rotten mean again?" – she asked distrustfully.

-"Y-yeah, but that's not it! You weren't there! I know what I saw, I swear over Ed's grave!"

After he said the words, the female gave him a nice juicy slap straight to the face.

-"_HEY_! What the hell was that for?" – Banzai asked, a little sobered.

-"_That_ was for mentioning Ed like that!" – growled the matriarch, combing back the wisps of hair that fell on her face. – "Now listen up!"

The hyena's eyes were already opened wide, but when Shenzi grabbed his head with her paws and pulled it close to her grinning, broken fangs in order for him to understand her clearly, they nearly jumped out of their orbits.

-"Scar's _dead_, ya hear me? He's dead 'cause we killed 'em, and you know that 'cause ya saw it. Furthermore, you were personally among those who _ate his body_, so don't be givin' me no damn stupid ghost stories, get it? I ain't a pup which you can scare, and I certainly ain't gonna act like one, just like you're doin' right now. Ya heard?"

Banzai shook his graying head awkwardly.

-"Good. Now what I'm gonna do is explain to you what ya _did_ see there on the ledge. So pay attention! What you saw was a _lion_. You know what a lion is, dontcha? _Scar_ was a lion, but the one you saw was not Scar. You saw _another_ lion. And that means that THERE WAS A LION SPYING ON US HERE!"

Shenzi suddenly let go of Banzai's head what made him fall on his back. As he was lying there, he gazed at her with as thoughtful an expression as he was capable of.

-"Hey, come ta think of it… a _lion spy_ sounds way better than _Scar's ghost_."

-"No, it don't!" – she screamed at him standing like a predator over his prey, causing him to flinch. – "Both sound equally crappy ta me, and since a lion spy is way more probable, I'd say it sounds _drastically_ crappy! Use that air ya got in your head, cactus-butt! You wanna have a whole pride o' big, ferocious felines knockin' out our front door one night, just like the Outsiders did? Remember how many of us _died_ the last time, including Ed? You wanna see that happen _again_, with your own self dead this time, maybe?"

Banzai became much more serious. Crawling out from under the matriarch's paws, he stood before her in a more militant pose.

-"'Course not! We're here to kick the lions' behinds and scare them off Pride Rock, not ta get smacked up ourselves!"

-"Exactly! So listen up- I'll tell ya what ta do. Take four, or maybe even five of the brightest males witcha and _go find that walkin' rug_!"

For a moment, the male gazed at her, startled.

-"A _rug_? Whatcha need a rug for? Ain't you comfy enough with hay?"

-"_Uhh_! The _lion_, you idiot! Go find the frickin' spy before he goes back and reports everything ta Simba! Move your butt, why're ya still standing here for?"

Before she ceased yelling at him, Banzai was already on his way to assemble a search team. And after what Shenzi said to him about some old memories, he was really starting to feel hungry for lion meat…

* * *

Kovu ran until his lungs burned and his heart pumped liquid fire. And then he ran some more.

Of course he'd seen hyenas before in his life, but since the memory of stories the lionesses had told him was still written deeply in his mind, he wanted to get as far from them as possible, especially considering their now simply frightening numbers. When he thought about hyenas, the images of scratches, wounds and bite marks, the effect of the Outlanders' battle with them, was what he was seeing, and he certainly did not want the same things to happen to him. He had enough of his own scars already.

His stamina ran out when he was already close to the border of the Pridelands. Although he would rather leave the Elephant Graveyard immediately, for now he just didn't have enough strength to run anymore. So after making sure that no one was following him and that the area was safe, he chose a secluded spot by one of the smoking geysers and collapsed to the ground.

_There's a whole army of them… much more than there are lions in Simba's pride. Much more than we_ _would be able to defeat if they attacked us! _– the thoughts were flashing inside him desperately as he was trying to recapture his breath. – _Mother was right… we're all in grave danger. What's going to happen to us now? No wonder Nuka was trying to warn Vitani, too… Oh, how could Simba ignore a whole horde of enemies right under his nose? I gotta go back… He has to know about this… But what'll we do? Oh, mother… I know we hated you and cursed at your brutality sometimes, but in times like these you were the one who knew best how to protect those that were close to you…_

Internally troubled and anxious, Kovu gazed at the dancing fumes of the geyser, attempting to somehow think of a way to solve the critical situation he now found himself in. It wasn't only about him after all- the whole pride, the whole kingdom was in danger. Such a large pack of carnivorous beasts could go over the land like an infestation of locusts, destroying everyone and everything in their way… The young lion shivered at the mere thought that Pride Rock, his new home where not only his family and friends, the old Outsiders, but also his beloved mate presently lived, could soon be reduced to nothing more than a big, dead lion graveyard.

As he observed the thick, volcanic smoke just to get his mind off of what he had no idea how to deal with, it's slothful emission from the very bowels of the earth slowly started to calm him. He didn't know if it was due to the vapors or the mysterious, greenish flashes of light, but the lion was starting to give in to a kind of odd hypnosis. There, among the fumes, he saw something that was starting to look like some dreamy vision, becoming more and more clear as he strained his eyes. Kovu saw a horde of animals- an army of hyenas, numerous beyond count. But they were surprisingly not hostile- no, instead they formed an orderly parade of straight, equal rows. He thought he almost heard their might battle song… Above the marching pack, atop a rocky ledge in the Elephant Graveyard, like a ruler looking over his kingdom, there stood a lone, dark figure, much larger than a hyena. Kovu recognized it to be a lion, and as he stared at this triumphant individual as he ordered the army to charge, pointing at Pride Rock, he was shocked to find out that the lion was indeed…

Himself.

Among the suffocating fumes that emerged from the volcanic pit, Kovu recognized his own image giving the order for the hyenas to attack and overflow his home from all sides. And as they did that, the figure just sat and laughed madly…

No. There was something wrong about this vision. It just didn't make any sense. Kovu turned his eyes away from the smoke for a moment and shook his head with a strange feeling of displeasure that constricted his insides. Something told him not to look again, but the will to know was far stronger in him. As he gazed at the vision once more, he saw the hyena-commanding lion turn around to face him with a loud chuckle. And then a shiver went down his back. He was right- that lion was not himself, only someone strongly familiar to him. But even though he could hardly remember him, Kovu recognized Scar immediately.

Then, almost feeling the very life escaping from his body, he made a few steps back and cringed under the wall when his stepfather came from beyond the clouds of smoke and stood in front of him in the flesh.

* * *

**AN: Oh no, the bad guys are back! I mean ok, Scar's a ghost, but still he can use his rotten tongue to mess up Kovu's mind. And what with the hyenas? Are they really going to devour the lions from existence? I hope your wondering, because I haven't fully constructed the plot until the very end of this story, so I am open for your speculations and reviews, as always.**

**Oh- and happy New Year, too. XD  
**


	12. The Hidden Scars

**Chapter 12 – The Hidden Scars**

It started to rain. As the cold waves of water went down his sides and dripped from his mane, Kovu shivered. But it wasn't at all because he was wet.

The lion has had many nightmares in his life. Some of them really terrifying ones, that would make him wake up with a groan of fear and a beating heart. Only that lately his nightmares weren't only bad dreams or gruesome visions inside his mind. Lately his nightmares were becoming reality.

And this was one of the most frightening ones. Scar had died when Kovu was still a small cub, so he couldn't really say that he knew him. The stories he'd heard differed from each other depending on who told him. Zira portrayed her deceased mate as a perfect figure, an example of power, and that was also why she admired him. Others, however, especially the Pridelanders, spoke of their former ruler as if he was a fiend and a tyrant, or even, as the cubs would sometimes put it being scared to death of someone they never even saw, a devil-lion and evil incarnate.

But that was not why Kovu feared his stepfather. The main cause for that was that he always felt that Scar was a part of him somehow. A very _dark _part of him, hidden somewhere in the corner of his soul.

This is why he knew that the lion that stood in front of him was Scar, and that he could recognize him. Because everybody in the Pridelands knew how that old demon from the past looked like with his black mane and dark fur that were almost a sign of his hellish decency, so unique for anyone else from his family. Not even mentioning his namesake, the old scar on his eye, strangely similar to the one Kovu still carried after his mother's rageful outburst…

In the short moment when his stepfather stood before him laughing delicately, Kovu did not see any signs of death in him. Scar did not look old or young, his body did not emit hellfire… only the green glow of the geyser reflecting from his handsome, shiny jet-black mane and the eyes that had the same poisonous shine in them, also disturbingly familiar… When he started to speak, the voice Kovu had never heard before contained some strange, haughty strength in it that made the young lion even more petrified with awe.

-"_Well, isn't this a happy reunion! I'm so touched I truly don't know what to say… And I can see that so are you, Kovu._"

Scar examined his stepson with a seemingly kind glare and after noticing his continuing speechlessness, he went on.

–"_You have grown a lot throughout the years. One can notice that your mother has trained you well at the first sight. Good- at least she kept her promise. __**What's wrong with you, boy? Stop acting like the cub you've once been! This is your father speaking to you!**_"

Seeing Scar charge at him suddenly with a raised voice, Kovu sprung to his feet and adopted a combat position. That made the ghost smile again as if after making a successful joke.

-"_Good! That's more like it!_"

By now Kovu had gotten used to the presence of this dark specter and his mockeries were starting to irritate him. So he decided to finally express his thoughts.

-"You're not my father!" – he corrected him.

-"_Heh-heh, well not in the full sense of the word, no. But then again, to some extent, in a very special way, I am. Don't tell me that you don't think the same, heh-heh… I was the king of the Pridelands and you're my successor, Kovu. I deliberately chose you to follow in my pawprints."_

-"I never wanted to be chosen to be your heir!"

-"_Of course not, but that doesn't matter. It wasn't your decision."_

Kovu sighed and hung his head. It was just like he'd always feared… Like he wasn't in control of his own life, only fulfilling what had been previously written in his inevitable fate.

-"Well, why did you choose me, then?" – he was asking the questions he'd always wanted to ask, one by one. Only that the answers he got were what he already knew…

-"_Simple. I didn't have an heir of my own and when Zira appeared I thought that I might as well take her offspring in by means of adoption. And among your siblings, Nuka was far too weak while Vitani was a girl, so naturally my vote stayed with you. I must say that I'm still quite happy with the decision I made. Even though your present state still leaves much to be desired…"_

-"I'm not going to change anything in my life for you!" – Kovu growled.

-"_Oh, I'm afraid that too is independent from the choices you make._"

Kovu couldn't stand Scar looking him straight in the eyes. He turned his head as his stepfather spoke, almost as if he was able to shake his words away from his head…

-"_You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in fulfilling your destiny…_"

-"I will _not_ follow your dark ways, Scar! You are evil, everyone knows that!"

The ghost became somewhat more serious. Still gazing straight at the young lion without a single blink, he sat down on the ground, far calmer than his interlocutor.

-"_Define evil_" – he demanded.

Kovu had great difficulties in thinking of an answer for a few long moments. Indeed, now he himself experienced that the stories of Scar's conniving mind were not false…

-"You were always selfish and reckless in getting what you wanted! Just like my mother was!" – he screamed his accusations with a voice filled with long-hidden despair.

-"_Wrong_" – Scar answered unaffected. – "_I wasn't like her. It was her who became just like me, actually._"

-"You were corrupted! You assassinated your own brother, that you can't deny!"

No, he didn't deny it. In fact, that even made him smile slightly.

-"_Yes, I did kill Mufasa. And not only him, to be frank. I've killed a lot of animals in my life. Haven't you?_"

Kovu was simply outraged by the way he said those words. Without any guilt, without feeling even the slightest regret. In fact, that made him a bit… curious. How could someone be robbed of a conscience? How was that even possible?

-"Who made you like this?" – Kovu asked. He sought something with this question, something that he'd been wondering about before… Because what he felt was not exactly disgust for the dead lion that stood before him, but rather… compassion. Or, at least, the will to understand him.

Scar laughter again. Right now he didn't need to hide his secrets anymore. Right now he didn't need to hide anyone's secrets.

-"_It was my mother. Heh, you have no idea how the expression of your face makes you look right now… Yes, hardly anyone knows about it, but the devil-lion, as I am sometimes called, actually had a pretty good teacher. Ah, queen Uru, that mysterious character from the history of the Pridelands! I bet you haven't heard much about her yourself, but let me just say this- whatever you will hear about her, don't believe it. She was a master in acting, in keeping everyone fooled about the flawlessness of her acts, including her mate the king. But all she ever did was play with their ignorance. And she taught me everything she knew… How to disobey, how to fight for what's rightfully mine, how to lie and how to destroy the ones who hated me, paying them back with a far greater hate, even though they themselves remained blinded in oblivion until their very doom. She was seemingly always right by king Ahadi's side, but really she considered much of his decisions to be foolish. Especially about making Mufasa the successor for the throne. She considered her betrothal nothing but a sad necessity, so naturally she didn't see anything wrong in living her own, hidden life behind his back, not exactly always staying faithful to her king, if you get my point, heh-heh… Hardly anyone would ever get invited into that secret world of hers, but I, as her beloved son, always had full access to what she really thought. It's such a shame that she died before she could see me ascend the throne. You can be sure that she would be among my strongest supporters._"

Kovu listened with distaste, but also with a lot of understanding. Truly, Scar's darkness had to come from somewhere… But queen Uru? Simba's grandmother? He was quite surprised to hear those thing his stepfather told about her, especially about her _unfaithfulness_… Kovu had always heard that Scar and Mufasa did not look in the smallest bit similar, but did those words really mean that… Scar was not the son of king Ahadi? Was that one of the dark secrets hidden just beneath the pretty picture of the Pridelands?

Right now Kovu imagined Uru and Scar, or Taka, as he was still called back in those days, much like his mother and himself- sitting somewhere alone, training together, the female pouring her dastardly teachings into her cub's ear… And as he gazed within the fumes of the geyser, that was what he saw. A vision from years long passed, something that no-one was conscious of until now…

-"_The dark legacy continues for generations, Kovu_" – Scar continued his discourse. – _"And it will go on far after you are dead. It is inevitable. It is your destiny._"

The young lion did not answer. He just wondered about how _he_ would act to fulfill it.

-"_I know you are unsure. In fact, this is why I came. You need to know what exactly is to be done._" – he approached his stepson so close that Kovu would be able to feel the warmth of his body only if there was any warmth at all. Instead, he listened to what Scar whispered into his ear gazing at the dance of the fumes, not exactly knowing if he still had a will of his own. – "_I know you do not trust me, but what I will say now may change your point of view. I do not care if you took Simba's daughter as you mate anymore. Hell, in these circumstances even your heritage to the throne of the Pridelands is a secondary case. What I want you to do, Kovu, is to __**survive**__. Yes, that's it! What good is the fact that I made you my successor if death will prevent you from even having a chance of taking the throne at all? Simba is not your main obstacle. The __**hyenas**__ are your main obstacle, and the way I see it if you do not act quickly they'll go over you like a stampede, killing you, your sister, your mate and everything foolish enough to stand in their way! Believe me, they had done things like that before. This was the only way that they could ever survive._"

Kovu wondered about how Scar and Zira knew these things. It seemed that the dead had sort of a wider spectrum for the things that happened on earth… Well, if that was true, he decided to take the risk. After all, everything he'd heard about the hyenas was true, and he didn't really have an idea of his own.

-"I'm listening" – he said finally, even though it was hard for him to admit it.

-"_Oh, but you know the answer already" _– Scar spoke with a note of strong confidence. – "_Follow my path, and everything will become clear to you._"

Kovu flinched internally to the very thought that he could ever listen to that advice.

-"No…" – he mumbled powerlessly.

-"_Yes. You know there is no other way. The hyenas are stupid and plain beasts, and they will need to be punished for that eventually, but for a crafty mind they are also easy to manipulate. Of course, their insatiate appetite will require an appropriate sacrifice…"_

-"No!"

-"_… and this is where we come back to the case of my nephew. Alas, he was never really gifted with much intelligence, what I'm sure you already know yourself. And furthermore, I can assure you that his future decisions will only prove that. So I suppose that way it will be much easier for you to do what is needed and… __**remove**__ him…_"

-"No, Scar! I can't… do that."

-"_And why not? Kovu, mark my words- soon you will see that the truth is you __**must **__do that! For the sake of not only yourself, but the whole kingdom! But fear not- when the right time comes, you'll know what to do._"

Kovu still continued to turn his head. And to think that not so long ago he thought that his life at Pride Rock was going to be peaceful and quiet…

-"There is always another way. _Always_."

-"_Puh_!" – Scar snorted with disregard, turning around as if he wanted to leave, offended by his stepson's stubbornness. – "_Alright, do as you wish. Go find yourself another advisor, let him tell you what to do. Just don't call my name when you'll be mauled to death by a pack of slobbering hyenas…_"

These words gave Kovu an idea. Or rather they made him remember an old question he'd been carrying inside his heart for years, not exactly having anyone whom he could ask…

-"Yeah, maybe I will ask someone else."

Scar halted, raising his brow curiously.

-"_Hmm? And who might that be?_"

The young lion bit his lip. There was still one thing that he always wanted to know- a thing typical for anyone who's always had but one real parent…

-"Scar…" – he started awkwardly. – "I'm sure you know a lot and there's something I wanted to ask… I-I never found the courage to mention this in front of my mother… uh, I suppose you understand why since you were her mate… But I always wanted to know this. Can you tell me… who was my real father?"

Ridiculing Kovu's desperation, Scar laughed from the top of his voice. But when he looked at him again, his face did not bear the expression of mockery. It was rather… compassion.

-"_You have no idea how the exact same question had been puzzling me for some time in my own life years ago… But that's not important now. Neither for me nor for you. Your father's dead, he had died before you were even born, before Zira came to the Pridelands carrying you and your sister in her belly. Or at least that's what she'd told me. I didn't know him and never wanted to. That's all I can tell you."_

-"I'll find out, eventually. You know that."

-"_Yes, I do. You'll do just as I myself had done, and it will also be the first step you'll take following my way. And only seeing that still makes me confident about you, my boy."_

After saying that Scar left, disappearing behind the cloud of fumes. He'd brought many answers to his stepson… but also twice as many questions. Kovu didn't have time to think about it at the moment. The storm still hasn't ended. Right now, he needed to get back to Pride Rock.

* * *

**AN: The two finally meet! And, of course, Scar would very much want Kovu to do just as he desires, but is that going to work since even his own mother had failed to do it? Well, he obviously has enough brains to know that he won't achieve anything only by shouting at his stepson... He wants to make him believe that Simba has to be dealt with, but Kovu is pretty strong in his resistance agains the fate of copying Scar's crimes. And in order to find a way out of this hard situation, he will look for...**

**Yeees. Have you ever wondered who is Kovu's real dad? Well, so did he. But is he going to find him? And what more dark hidden facts is he going to descover besides the fact that Uru was in fact no friendly granny of Simba?  
**

**There's more, I promise, so R&R people! XD  
**


	13. The Final Mistake

**Chapter 13 – The Final Mistake**

Vitani was standing on top of one of the big stones at the bottom of Pride Rock, scoping the area around her carefully. According to Simba's order, along with the other females from her hunting party, she'd spent the whole day looking for her brother all over the Pridelands in the pouring rain. Right now, even though she didn't show it, she was at the edge of her patience and hoped that Kovu would finally show up, otherwise she was almost sure that the king would choose her to stay up and wait for him during the night. But even though she was angry, somewhere inside she knew that her brother wasn't missing without an important reason.

Behind her back, all of the other lionesses were waiting at the entrance to the cave, being in the nastiest moods just like her. Simba had made a big fuss about Kovu's 'insubordinate behavior' earlier that day, telling everyone to look for him when he didn't appear after the morning hunt. Right now the sun was already beginning to set, and the king was having a meeting with all of his advisors to ask them if they also shared his speculations. One way or the other, Kovu had some serious explaining ahead of him.

Bored with her waiting, Vitani noticed one of the females approaching her look-out spot. It was Kiara. The young lioness was worried sick, her father's harsh words only making her more concerned about what's been happening to her mate. Right now she looked quite miserable in her sister-in-law's eyes. Vitani couldn't tell whether the drops of water on her face were the effect of crying or the rain, but still she felt kind of sorry for her in her own, frigid way. After the months of living in the Pridelands, she got to know Kiara a lot better than before and actually developed a link of sympathy with her, finding a resemblance in her rebellious nature to her own. This was why right now she wished for Kovu to return and put an end to his mate's painful uncertainty.

-"Still nothing?" – Kiara asked, not really hoping for a positive response.

-"Sorry. No sign of'em."

The princess just sighed, lowering her head to the ground. Kovu hadn't kept anything secret from her before, and after how he'd been acting lately she just didn't know what to think. Especially with his recent disappearance…

-"_Hey_! Kiara!" – Vitani knocked her out of her meditation with an aroused voice. When the princess looked at her, she saw the guard fixing her eyes at the horizon.

-"What is it? I-is it him?" – she gasped, feeling as emotion filled her heart. Vitani remained silent for a while to make sure, and then she nodded.

-"Yeah, I'd recognize that hairdo even from a hundred miles. He's back."

Just a few second later Kovu, soaking wet and totally exhausted, came from behind the bushes. He didn't even have to call for his mate to fall into his embrace immediately.

-"Oh, I'm so sorry you had to wait… I'm so sorry…" – he apologized sounding really sad for throwing the whole pride into unrest, especially his mate. As they cuddled, happy to finally be together, the other lionesses came to see for themselves that he was finally back, to their great relief. Encouraged by the other lionesses, Vitani implored her brother to hurry.

-"Okay, lover-boy. There'll be more time for ya to spend with your mate later. I suppose you should know that _Simba_ is expecting you."

Releasing Kiara, Kovu stood at the base of the look-out rock.

-"What does he want from me?" – he asked.

-"_Puh_! To give you a piece of his mind, I s'ppose. Just take it easy with'em, he's been pissed like a pregnant rhino since early in the morning."

-"Heh, yeah, I know that… Listen, Tani…" – Kovu lowered his voice a bit. – "Have you… had any more dreams lately?"

He gave him one of her typical, ice-cold gazes.

-"I haven't slept in two days. It's almost impossible for me to shut my eyelids without seeing someone dead… I just hope you know what the hell is going on here."

Her brother sighed, not even trying to fool her that the situation wasn't that bad.

-"I know exactly what's going on."

-"Well that's just great. Go right away and deliver all the good news to Simba- I'm sure he'll be exploding with joy. He's in the den along with all of his goons."

Now Kovu felt the burden of responsibility. As he walked up the side of Pride Rock, the surrounding lionesses were looking at him judgmentally, silently accusing him of all the mess he'd caused. But the truth was that they still had no idea what kind of a mess they were all truly in…

When he came inside the cave, it seemed as if he broke into the middle of a conversation. The king was visibly angry, discussing something with Rafiki. _Marvelous_, thought Kovu. To make things even worse, Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa were also right there by Simba's side. As soon as they heard him, all four pierced him with merciless gazes.

-"Well, would ya look at who finally decided to show his face!" – said the meercat. Kovu hated when he did that- showing off with how brave he was, but only as long as he was accompanied by someone bigger who could protect him. Fortunately, the king decided to deal with the matter professionally.

-"Zazu. Go tell all the lionesses to come in here at once." – he turned his head to look at his son-in-law. – "I suppose Kovu owes us all an explanation."

The young lion kept his undisturbed demeanor even when facing the hostile expressions of others. Kovu had no idea what Simba told them about what he thought of his recent absence, but after seeing Rafiki's insulted face, he knew that it was definitely nothing good. The king had probably simply expressed all of the distrust he still had for Scar's heir to the rest of his pride. But that didn't really matter- Kovu knew that he had far more serious reasons.

-"Go on, we're waiting" – Simba said to him coldly as soon as everyone else came inside the den. So, taking another look at Kiara, Kovu went on with his story.

-"Listen to me- I know that you're all alarmed with my recent behavior that might seem strange to you… I know I haven't been helping you with the hunts and that I was away most of the time. Some of you might also be disturbed with the way I spoke to you for the past few days. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I really am, you gotta believe me. It's just that I found out about something I needed to know for sure, and because I had to spend a lot of time for looking in strange places, now I return with a certain fact. What I am trying to tell you is that we are all in great danger!"

The way Kovu said it caused a loud whisper of concern that filled the cave. Simba rose to sit, not very happy about the feeling that his problem would not end only with giving his son-in-law a proper reprimand.

-"My search has lead me to the Elephant Graveyard today" – the young lion continued. – "I know that place is beyond the borders of the Pridelands and no one has bothered to check if everything was fine there for a long time. Now I know that it was a big mistake! What I saw with my own eyes today still scares me when I think about it. That's because the valley there is inhabited by a clan of hyenas large enough to wipe us all out, and from what I've been able to find out, that exactly is their plan!"

If there was ever a mess at Pride Rock, it happened after what Kovu said. The deafening cacophony of angry, scared and mocking voices echoed from the walls, making a frown of rage appear upon the king's face.

-"SILENCE!" – he ordered, but he had to say that three times for the lionesses to calm down.

-"_Hyenas_! I_ still_ hate them… and I thought we've seen enough of'em already!" – Timon's yelping would not cease as he was almost tearing out the hair from his head remembering his former 'adventures' with the spotted felinoformia.

-"Yeah, whadda we do now, Simba? I still don't wanna be eaten for dinner like a piece of ham, especially by those beasts…" – the latter's warthog friend also came up to the king, pleading for refuge from the terrible news Kovu brought.

-"But that's impossible!" – spoke one of the older former Outsiders. – "We killed the hyenas years ago, there weren't enough of'em left to fill up this cave!"

-"I don't know how they managed to multiply their number, but they did" – Kovu answered her and the others who had participated in the same assault. – "I'm not lying. There is no reason for me to lie. I know what I saw. Either you all believe me and think of a way to act quickly, or we better prepare ourselves for war!"

Simba still gazed at him distrustfully, even as Kiara came up to sit beside her mate to show that she trusted him and sought consolation in his embrace. Then the king turned his eyes towards his majordomo.

-"Do you know anything about this?"

Zazu shook immediately, remembering that scouting the Pridelands from above was actually his duty.

-"Why, I-I-I truly don't have a clue, sire! Ehm, just as young Kovu had mentioned, the Elephant Graveyard is way beyond the limits of the Pridelands… and therefore those lands had not been investigated for whole seasons. I suppose you never saw that there was such a necessity, therefore not giving a specific order…"

-"Is this all because _I didn't give the order_?" – Simba growled at him with great anger, making the bird cover himself up with his wings. Then the king sighed deeply, hanging his head low, seemingly disappointed with everyone around, including himself. – "I didn't give the order… I didn't give the order…" – he repeated the sentence a few more times. – "AND HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE I COLD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING?" – he roared finally, making everyone silence and open their eyes wide. In difficult events like such, Simba had the tendency to show the worst spheres of his character…

For a moment everyone just sat startled, not sure what they should do now, waiting for the king to calm down. Then Rafiki came up to him and whispered something into his ear. Simba nodded.

-"Yeah, I think that's the best we can do for now." – then he turned towards the others. – "We'll leave this case for tomorrow. Go to sleep. I don't think we'll be able to think of anything since we're so tired after the whole day."

At once, Nala was right there by his side. She also feared that the hyenas might indeed be a threat just like years ago, and since Simba had told her he wanted to have another cub with her, this was truly the worst of times for such unpleasant news. She cuddled up his red mane, but the king did not return the caress.

-"Don't wait up for me, Nala" – he said looking her in the eyes, making her even sadder. She wanted to say something, but he was already on his way out of the cave.

Before he left, however, he called for one of the lionesses.

-"Vitani!"

She came up to him, not exactly fully disguising her reluctance.

-"Yeah?"

-"You have good eyes. Stand guard for the night. If anyone can see a horde of hyenas sneaking towards Pride Rock in the darkness, it's you."

Thinking that his words sounded like a praise for the huntress, he turned his back at her and went away. So fast he wasn't able to hear the word she used to describe just how happy she was about having to abandon another night of sleep.

* * *

On the next day Simba woke everyone up personally right after sunrise. Ordering the lions to gather around, he started referring to them the plan he'd constructed during the night.

-"It's obvious that the only way we might stand a chance against the hyenas is by sticking together. That's why from now on it is forbidden for anyone to leave Pride Rock without my permission. If we use our home as a stronghold, we'll be safe."

There were some that agreed, but most had their doubts. Especially the former Outsiders. Those had more than just doubts- they were close to starting a mutiny.

-"You're sentencing us to waiting for our own execution!" – said one particularly brave lioness.

-"Didn't you hear what Kovu said? The hyena pack is much too large for us to defeat in direct combat!" – another one added her opinion.

-"And besides, what about hunting? Someone has to deliver food for us!" – one of the Pridelanders also expressed her doubts, encouraged by the others.

-"Calm down, _calm down_ everyone!" – Simba unsuccessfully attempted to silence the members of his pride. – "Will ya let me speak? How am I supposed to explain my plan to you if you don't listen!"

-"Simba, you ain't got no experience in warfare at all!" – the tired and pissed off Vitani spoke on behalf of her pridesisters. That made the king exceptionally angry, as always when his authority was questioned.

Kovu observed the whole situation from aside, shocked just how everything he'd heard from Scar became a self-realizing prophecy just before his very eyes… Truly, he was starting to feel more and more convinced that Simba was indeed leading his pride right into the center of it's doom. He knew why that was so- somewhere in the back, hidden in the shadows, Rafiki sat, gazing at him with his old eyes. He probably spent the whole night attempting to persuade Simba to act according to the way of the Old Kings, maybe even summoning the spirit of Mufasa… But since Kovu knew that way was wrong, finally, he had to contradict.

-"And you dare to call yourself our _king_?" – he shouted, making Kiara and the other lionesses, even Vitani, look at him with great curiosity. Simba bared his fangs, but that did not make Kovu silence. – "You're ordering us to listen, but do you ever listen yourself? Look at the ones you've accepted into your pride. They still carry the scars of their battle with a whole army of hyenas. A battle they'd won, Simba! The only way for us to destroy our enemy is a surprise attack. We must do this while we still hold the element of surprise at all! We can't just wait here for them to come and slaughter us. We need to be the ones to make the first move. This is what my mother would have done, and she's the best fighter I have ever known!"

The questioning of his decision was enough to throw Simba in a rage, but when Kovu mentioned Zira, the very one who had once breathed with the lust for his blood, he totally lost his nerve. At once, in a flash, all the trust that he still had for his son-in-law disappeared.

-"Get out of here…" – he demanded, barely holding himself from attacking.

-"_What_?" – Kovu frowned with shock. – "Have you lost your mind?"

That was it.

-"No, I did NOT! YOU ARE BANISHED, YOU HEARD ME!" – this time, Simba charged at Kovu, roaring and baring his claws and fangs to show that he really meant what he said. For a very short while, the young lion sat petrified.

-"_Uh_! I can't believe you're doing this to me _again_!" – he gasped with inexpressible disappointment. And then, faster than anybody would suspect, after giving a last look of good-bye to his mate, he started to run away.

-"_Noo_!" – Kiara and Vitani shouted together, springing to their feet at once to follow him.

-"Stop them! _Stop them_!" – Simba ordered, and a few lionesses blocked the two females' way. All they were able to do now was to observe their brother and mate as he disappeared beyond the horizon, heading towards the unknowns. With faces expressing deep disdain and anger, they turned towards the king. But his decision has already been made.

The siege of Pride Rock has begun.

* * *

**AN: So I guess that if you'd read my stories before, you should already know that Simba isn't exactly my favorite character... **

**And why should he be? He's acting like an arrogant jerk, only attempting to unsuccessfully imitate his dead father. So is he going to lead the pride into a disaster or can Kovu do something about it?  
**


	14. The Dead Lion

**Chapter 14 – The Dead Lion**

From the very moment he left Pride Rock, Kovu was boiling with fury. What he'd experienced after warning his pride about the presence of the hyenas was radically different from his expectations, and fully comparable with his worst fears. Not a long time ago, he still had trust for Simba and believed him to be a good and kind ruler, who in spite of all his small flaws and mistakes lead his subjects upon the path of safety and peace. Right now, he was far from having any such illusions anymore.

It wasn't about himself. No, he didn't care if the same lion exiled him from Pride Rock for the second time, or even the third, to be precise. But when Kovu thought about everyone else, about Kiara and all the other lionesses, imprisoned there and made to wait for their own destruction to come, he just couldn't approve to that anymore.

Were Zira and Scar wrong about Simba? Yes, he still thought that they were, to some extent. But not fully. No, the son of Mufasa was the only one who was fully wrong at the moment. And so, as awful as it was, he would need to be stopped.

Kovu knew he was the only one who could do it. He was fully conscious that even Vitani, as militant as she was, would never start a mutiny that would knock the whole pride back into the state of war from which they had barely managed to escape not so long ago. Kovu had to follow the right way to save the situation- and that was exactly what he was thinking of right now. Which path should he follow? He didn't have many options, really. Simba's idea was out of the question. He had no doubts that barricading themselves at Pride Rock would lead to an utter disaster. So was it really Scar's way again…?

For now, he didn't want to accept it. Not just yet. He needed more proof, and besides- now he found a very reliable source of all kinds of useful knowledge. This is why he decided to follow his own path primarily.

Elkanah sat in front of him on a rock somewhere in a forgotten and deserted place on the edge of the Pridelands. As always, it was impossible to make out in what mood he was, since snakes did not show their emotions with an expression of their face. On the other hand, the shaman could see that Kovu wasn't very joyful when he came to him, and not just because of the gloomy weather.

-"I've been waiting for you, Chosen One" – he hissed rather mysteriously. – "I can feel that you ssseek knowledge. It'sss good to asssk othersss for council."

-"I know that" – the lion admitted, not really bothering to wonder where did Elkanah find out about that. – "I gotta say I kind of understand why my stepfather used your services. You're one useful snake, especially if someone's looking for answers."

-"And that'sss why you came to me, hmm? I really can't blame you. Yoursss is not exactly the easiessst part to play in the Circle of Life, isssn't it? Essspecially now…"

Kovu only nodded delicately.

-"Hmm, ssso you ssay you're looking for a clue in how to deal with the hyenasss?" – the serpent continued with understanding, even though the lion did not say anything. – "Yesss, you're right- the case isss tough. But worry not, Chosen One- there are ssspirits on the ether that have sssurvived worssse… and there are alssso those who had failed to sssurvive, ssso now they can advise you what you should _not_ do. It only dependsss on who you want to ssspeak to…"

Elkanah was trying to tempt him, but Kovu had already made up his mind. There was but one dead lion he wanted to speak to right now- the very one whom he always wanted to meet. And for that, he was able to sacrifice a lot- even having to take part in the reptile shaman's darkest rituals.

-"I want you to summon my father" – he demanded openly. And even though there was nothing that changed in Elkanah's face, he felt that the snake was a bit shocked to hear that.

-"Hmm, well well… Who would have thought. Thisss remindsss me of sssomeone elssse who had wanted desssperately to know hisss real father…" – the serpent whispered as he crawled down from the rock and started circling around Kovu, examining him as if he found some new feature in him that he did not notice before.

-"Can you do that?" – the lion asked with audible emotion. Elkanah returned to his stony seat to face him.

-"It'sss not as easy as it may ssseem. I didn't know him and I have no idea where he died… or where he isss now. I can't really sssummon him here. But I might try to bring _you_ to him, if you are brave enough to try…"

-"Yes, I am. And I want to try."

-"I sssee… Unfortunately, I am going to have to put you in a ssstate quite close to death... But don't worry- you should sssurvive the processs…"

-"Have you tried this before?"

-"Not very often doesss anyone have the gutsss to participate in sssuch… _unusual_ gamesss. There wasss probably jussst one sssuch event I remember to have participated in… But like I jussst sssaid- you have nothing to worry about. I am experienced."

-"Is this… going to hurt?"

Elkanah lead out a sound that could probably be considered as laughter.

-"Oh, you know it isss."

The lion took a deep breath…

-"Okay. What do I do?"

The snake moved a bit closer and looked him in the eyes.

-"For now, try not to protect yourssself."

-"Uh, protect myself from what?"

-"From _thisss_!"

Kovu jumped away to see the serpent attacking him, but he was too slow. He felt two venom fangs piercing the skin at his front leg, immediately pumping the poison straight into his system. Before he was able to yelp, he already felt as his blood transported the deadly substance all over his body. The world around him whirled and disappeared as if covered by a dark curtain, his paws swayed sending him straight to the ground. But he did not feel the pain of impact. He did not feel his body at all anymore- it was as if the part of him that contained his consciousness just left it's material form and sailed away to a world other than the one he knew…

Kovu woke up in the middle of what seemed to be a battlefield of some sort, somewhere in a land unfamiliar to him. The landscape was rocky and rather infertile, the sky had an equally dark grey color. But that was not the most disturbing thing about this alien place he found himself in. All around him, the bones, skeletons and even rotting carcasses of something that looked like large carnivores laid scattered in heaps like dirt or garbage. The bodies were maimed ant torn, the bones looking as if their former owners had been gnawed to death.

The lion flinched in fright and disgust, yet still felt a kind of strong curiosity about what had happened here. Taking a few moments to make a closer examination, he found out that the dead were two groups of animals- larger and smaller predators that had probably fought the fiercest of battles… They were lions and hyenas, but Kovu still didn't know one thing- if what he saw was a vision of some horrible event from the past, or rather a prophetic example of what was going to happen…

He didn't even want to think about the second eventuality. Instead, he focused on attempting to find anyone who was actually _alive_ in this place.

-"Hello!" – he called, quickly noticing that his voice had no real resonance, as if the place he was in was beyond time and space.

But still, he was heard.

The movement he noticed behind his back made him turn around and hold his breath. What he saw was what had until recently seemed to be the corpse of a lion that was now slothfully attempting to stand up on it's feet, not being as torn to pieces as Kovu had initially thought. In fact, the lion looked quite healthy- he had a muscular built, a dark brown fur color and a large, handsome, raven-black mane with a tuft of hair above his forehead, just like Kovu and Vitani… And when he lifted his head to show him a face similar to his, only a bit less angular, staring at him with a pair of azure-blue eyes, the young lion knew it at once.

For the first time in his life, Kovu saw his real father.


	15. The Dead Lion II

**Chapter 15 – The Dead Lion II**

**AN: *Warning!* This chapter contains strong language and themes that shatter the LK canon so utterly that they demand a large dose of imagination to comprehend.**

* * *

Kovu was almost about to smile, but his father's reaction threw him in a totally startled state. Namely, as soon as the ghost realized who he was facing, he laughed so uncontrollably that he fell right to the ground and started rolling on his back.

Totally stupefied, Kovu approached and waited for him to calm down.

-"Uh… sorry, but… why are you laughing?" – asked his son awkwardly. That made the father stop and gaze at him.

-"Oh _shit_!" – cursed the lion, his voice surprisingly similar to Scar's. – "I have to admit, of all the lions I could imagine to see here I would never even dare to dream of meeting _you_!"

Then he suddenly sprung to his feet and grabbed Kovu in a suffocating hug.

-"Come 'ere, sonny boy! How the hell did you manage to get here? You're not dead!"

-"Uh, well I…" – the young lion stammered after his father let him go.

-"Ah, no matter! Let me have a look at you. Damn, you must be popular with the _ladies_, aren't you? You look just like me, maybe except for that square snout of yours. A bad trait of your mom's probably, ey? And where did you get that scar? Wow, talk about a mean look… Heh, but where are my manners. What's your name anyway? Sorry, I got carried away and forgot to ask."

-"It's… Kovu."

-"_Kovu_? As in, _scar_ in Swahili? Shit man, who thought that up? Bet it was that stupid harlot that brought you to the world, wasn't it? Well, I'm Aquila, so pleased to meet you after such a long time…"

The ghost stretched out his paw and smiled, but his son would not shake it. And not only because he was a bit unsure about his _outgoing_ character…

-"Hey, wait a minute,_ Aquila_! What's with calling your own mate a _harlot_?" – he asked indignantly.

Seeing Kovu's irritation, his father became a bit crestfallen. He dropped his grin and used his outstretched paw to scratch the back of his head.

-"Oh, I see. Zira wasn't very keen to talk about our _relationship_, wasn't she now?"

-"I don't know absolutely anything about you! I only learned your name when you told it to me!"

-"That damn bi… Uh, I'm sorry. I see she was far closer to you than she was to me. Can't say I blame you, but try to understand my lack of sympathy towards her- after all, despite the fact that she had been my mate, she was also the one who killed me."

-"_What_?" – Kovu couldn't believe what he heard. He did come to meet his father for answers, but now, when the old spirit started to reveal dark, long-forgotten secrets, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know anymore.

-"_Uh_, okay. Let me start from the very beginning. First of all, you are now in the land of the so-called Northern Pride- a pack of lions that had once been ruled by my father, or at least a vision of what's left of it. You see, I was brought up with my two brothers, and after our dad passed away in circumstances I would rather not mention at the moment, the three of us took over. _Er_… well, it's a bit humiliating to admit, but my brothers and I haven't been… very much kind to our lionesses. Well, you know, we shared mates, made them obey our every demand, hunt till exhaustion… Uhm, yeah, I forgot to mention… You know that Nuka is only your… _half-brother_, don't you?"

-"Yeah, that I do know." – Kovu answered with a note of utter distaste.

-"Oh, that's a relief! Heh-heh, at least that lowers the level of shock by a little bit, doesn't it?" – smiling awkwardly, he placed one of his paws on the top of some old lion skull. – "My brother Damas here is Nuka's dad. Naughty bastard, I told him to at least wait for Zira to become fully mature… Err, never mind. Anyway, I suppose now you understand in what _state of mind_ we put our lionesses. _Ehh_, if only it had been differently… One gets carried away if he has too much fun, isn't that right? So one day we found out that part of the females were starting to become mutinous. Of course Zira, who always had some leadership abilities in her, became the top cat of the rebellion, and since she was my mate and already bore my cubs, that is you and your sister… Uh, sorry, what's her name again?"

-"Vitani."

-"Right! My cubs, that is you and your sister _Vitani_, I had to have a serious talk with her… I suppose you remember the notch in her ear? Yes, that was me. Pissed to the limit, she grabbed me by the throat and before I was able to react, I was bloody dead. A quick little killer she was, I gotta hand it to her…"

-"And what happened then?"

-"Well, the rebellious lionesses used the proceeding chaos to flee the Northern Planes and relocate down south where they met the king of the Pridelands along with his stinking army of hyenas. He's already dead too, right? Heh, I wonder if the bastard ever knew that the cubs he adopted as his kids were actually his nephew and niece…"

Until this very moment Kovu was able to catch up with Aquila's story, as incomprehensible as it was. But what he said in the final sentence seemed totally wrong to him. He was not Scar's _nephew_. Simba was.

-"Uh, pardon me? Could you repeat that?"

Hearing the note of awkwardness in his son's voice, the ghost chuckled.

-"Ha! It's another one of those family secrets, isn't it? You sure you want to know this?"

-"You might as well finish since you've already started talking about it!"

-"With pleasure! Well, actually, the reason why I called Scar a _bastard_ is not only because of the unique features of his famously kind character. You see, his mother, queen Uru, was actually a bit of a strumpet herself. Not many know about this, probably hardly anyone from the Pridelands, including the present king, but one time her mate Ahadi sent her on a mission to establish a diplomatic connection with the Northern Pride. And I suppose there is no need for me to explain what kind of _connection_ the queen established with my pride's alpha male at that time, that is, with my father… So Uru returned and managed to persuade to her idiot mate that the cub she carried was really his own son. And thus the little Scar came to the world, oblivious of his ancestry until late in his adulthood…"

This was all beginning to become too weird for Kovu.

-"Wait a minute. So you're trying to tell me that Scar's really… your _brother_?"

Aquila nodded passionlessly.

-"Yup. My half-brother, actually. We share the same father. Notice my fabulous accent and my even more fabulous black mane? And haven't you ever wondered why you yourself are so similar to him? Your eyes are just like his, and just like my father's, too."

His son gazed at him with a totally petrified expression. He wasn't even able to name what he felt inside him right now.

-"That must mean that… Scar's my _uncle_. And Simba… he's… he's my cousin!"

-"In a way, I think you can say so. Tough luck kid, but hey- you came here on your own will, didn't ya?"

Kovu kept silent for a while. But then he looked at his father's grinning face once again.

-"What more can you tell me?"

-"Oh, heh-heh, I see it's true when they say that your appetite increases as you eat, right? Well, there's nothing more I can tell you about Zira or Scar since I spent my whole life in the Northern Planes. When it comes to the history of the Pridelands, I think you know even more than me. But as for my part of the family, I can tell you this- I am truly glad that I got killed by a lioness! That's way less humiliating than getting wiped out by a bunch of hyenas…"

-"What?" – Kovu became particularly interested.

-"Yeah, can you see this bloody battlefield all around us? It all happened basically just a few months ago. My two brothers and the lionesses that stayed by them when Zira left with more than half of the pride were attacked during the night by a whole damn army of stinking spotted arseholes!" – Aquila smacked at a hyena bone in his irritation, making it fly through the air and out of Kovu's sight. – "I suppose it were at least two or three clans combined together, otherwise they wouldn't stand a chance even during a surprise attack."

The young lion watched as Aquila shook with anger and sorrow. Despite his cynicism, it was clear that he was deeply touched by the death of his pridemembers, even though he was already dead himself.

And then Kovu though about his own family, back at Pride Rock… He was starting to fear that if he did not act quickly, the story would repeat itself. If the hyenas managed to destroy one pride of lions and take over their lands, they might as well try it again. It was obvious that the only reason for the clans to move to the Elephant Graveyard was to prepare another secret assault. He shuddered thinking about their unsatisfied hunger, watching the skeletons around him… Oh no, to that he cold not approve. Not again. They needed to be stopped, no matter what it would take.

-"Father… do you suppose there would be a way to stop the hyenas if they wanted to attack again?"

The ghost lifted his head, gazing at him with eyes wide open.

-"What do you mean _again_? Where are they now?" – he gasped, suspecting what Kovu was about to say.

-"At the moment, they're hidden just beyond the northern border of the Pridelands…" – his son answered with a voice that clearly indicated his inner fears.

-"THOSE BLOODY BASTARDS!" – Aquila roared expressing a truly unearthly rage that twisted his face, his voice battering through the air. – "They think killing lions is something they can practice like some regular, every-day activity! Oh, they are yet to find out how wrong they are…"

Breathing deeply and baring his teeth, the ghost fixed his blood-shot eyes at Kovu.

-"This is why you came here, isn't it? You seek council for your fight with those stinking beasts."

-"Yes, you're right."

-"Well you can consider yourself a damn lucky guy to even know that they're preparing to fight you! Otherwise, you'd look just like my brothers here very soon." – again he knocked at the side of the skull that laid beneath his paws. – "But it's also a frickin' shame I can't really give you much advice. As I said, I died before the hyena attack so I've never actually had a lot of contact with those rotten pricks myself. If it was up to me, I'd either run the hell away from them or barricade myself at Pride Rock…"

-"NO!" – Kovu roared, hearing him repeat Simba's foolish idea. – "We can't do that! Not while I'm still alive!"

-"_Sheesh_, calm down, sonny! I'm trying my best here, okay? Yeah, I suppose that wouldn't give you greater chances of survival, either… You could try to give the bastards a taste of their own shit, if you know what I mean, and attack them by surprise. If your pride's big enough, you might even win, although I can't promise that you'd have made it without suffering serious casualties on your side…"

Aquila could see that such an answer was also not satisfactory for his son. Kovu closed his eyes in disappointment, the things he heard being what he already knew. That also made his father fall into a nasty mood.

-"Uh, sorry kid…" – he sighed, putting his cold dead paw upon the young lion's shoulder. – "I never paid attention during my father's lessons when he was telling me about how to handle hyenas… But then again, I couldn't even handle my own mate, what made me end up like this. All I can do is to wish you more luck than my brothers and I had."

Kovu looked at him with his green eyes that had the shadow of almost total resignation in them. There was only one question for him left to ask…

-"Father… Is there anyone left of your pride who survived the hyena attack?"

Aquila, startled, started thinking intensively.

-"Oh wait a moment, let me see… Well, most of the lionesses that left with Zira are still alive, but I guess they don't count… My brothers and their mates are dead, and so are their cubs and the rest of the females… But then again… _Hey_! Wait a minute!" – suddenly, Aquila laughed. – "Oh crap, why didn't I think of it earlier! There's still a thing I'd been _dying_ to tell you about our family!"

-"What's that this time?" – Kovu asked, unsure if he could handle more secrets being revealed just as the earlier ones. But even though he waited for an answer, his father didn't say anything, only trying as hard as he could not to burst out laughing again. Finally, he started to speak.

-"Ah no, it's very tempting but on second thought I suppose I rather if you find out about it yourself."

-"Oh no you don't!" – Kovu became irritated and growled straight into the ghost's face. – "You've got to tell it to me _now_! I can't waste my time and let the hyenas attack Pride Rock why I'm away somewhere!"

-"_Uh_, chill out, fool! This place is not closed within the limits of time. All I can and all I will tell you is that you're right- there is _one_ lion left alive from my old pride. Go to Scar's old den at night. You have no idea _who_ you might meet there… _Hahaha_…"

Kovu's father then emitted a wave of uncontrolled laughter that filled the air.

-"Thank you for coming here, son!" – he screamed. – "There's still a chance for you, but please- don't make me look bad and try not to act like an idiot. Farewell! I'm sure you'll make me proud… _hahaha_…"

The young lion wanted to approach him and talk more, but to his great terror something about Aquila suddenly changed. A rush of strong wind came that started to… rip the flesh from his body as if it was nothing more than old rags and dust. Before Kovu was able to gasp, his father was just a horrible laughing skeleton. Furthermore, the other bodies that were lying around, both the lions and the hyenas alike, also rose to life and stood by his side to create a frightening choir of chuckling, dead cadavers.

Then the ground split under Kovu's paws and with a scream of horror, he started to fall into a bottomless, dark abyss.

He woke up panting, his heart almost tearing out from his chest, and saw that it was already after dusk. The only one who was there with him was Elkanah, observing him closely with his black eyes.

-"You're alive" – he stated more to ensure the lion of it than to indicate that the ritual has completed successfully. – "Now… ssstay that way."

As soon as his breath calmed, Kovu stood up and looked at him. And then, without another word, he ran towards Pride Rock.

* * *

**AN: If ya wanna play with spirits, ya better watch out! XD**

**Kovu's meeting with his father (**_**Aquila **_**means 'vulture' or 'eagle' in Latin, I got sick of making up Swahili names) was thoroughly beyond his expectations. The things he learned do add a bit of confusion to the plot, but I guess they also explain a lot. I've actually heard the idea of Scar being only Mufasa's half-brother before in another story, and consider it to be, well, interesting if not probable. **

**And the fact that Zira had to flee from her home pride because she killed her own mate explains why she would want to relocate to the Pridelands along with her cubs and the lionesses who later became Outsiders.**

**But what did Aquila do apart from uncovering some old family secrets? Well, we'll find out as soon as Kovu finds the last survival from the Northern Pride. Maybe he'll be able to help Scar's heir in stopping the hyenas from feasting on another lion pride…**


	16. The Evil Laughter

**Chapter 16 – The Evil Laughter**

* * *

_HAHAHAHA!_

If there was ever a sound that could fill both heaven and hell, it was the laughter of that damned- the group of long dead lions that despite their everlasting infernal punishment still felt a kind of pleasure in knowing that they managed to get into the way of the ones they hated.

Kwanza had called them all in front of the Council to give them a few strong words of reprimand before all those that had despised their ways of evil, but no matter how harshly he would address them, their reaction was always the same.

_Such behavior will not be tolerated! I do not care if the ones that are alive choose to summon you on their own will. That does not justify you in the least!_

_HAHAHA…_

_STOP THAT! How can you even be so blind? If you continue to tempt your successors to commit the same filthy acts that lead to your own doom…_

_HAHAHA!_

… _then you will sentence them to NOTHING MORE BUT TO JOINING YOU IN HELL!_

_HAHAHAHAHA!_

It was no use. The horde of dark spirits would not let itself be corrected. The ones that stood on Kwanza's side, the ghosts of light, glared at them engulfed in just anger and righteous disdain. Every one of them was looking at the fallen part of his own family…

Old king Ahadi fixed his eyes upon his mate, the traitorous lioness he'd once loved, whom after his death he'd expected to meet in heaven, only to find out just how unfaithful and false the female had really been to her king…

But queen Uru laughed along with the others, gazing back at him loathingly, having her younger son right there by her side. The lion that was not Ahadi's son at all, even though he had thought so all his life… The same one who later stole his throne from the lawful heir. Scar.

Scar stood together with Zira and gazed towards Mufasa, his half-brother. The two taunted the dead king with their chuckles, accompanied by other corrupted and wicked individuals. Uniting with their former pridemember even though she hated them, Scar's three abusive younger brothers from the Northern Planes also positioned themselves not far from Zira. But still two of them, Damas and Aquila, tried not to come too close to her, despite being the fathers of her cubs… Scar never had the chance of meeting them while he was alive, only unknowingly adopting Nuka, Kovu and Vitani as his own spawn. But now it didn't matter anymore- they were on one side, mocking the Council of the Great Kings with a unison chuckle.

Thus the two groups stood facing each other, so different that one seemed to be a negative of the second. Surprisingly, only the side that had failed and was now suffering an eternal humiliation, was laughing. That was because it has not yet been determined who would gain control over what happened back on earth. And that was still a chance for the dark spirits to triumph.

-"_Hey Mufasa_!" – Aquila's voice suddenly lifted up from beyond the mocking chortle. – "_If I were you, I'd watch over that weakling son of yours. Nice work with making him barricade himself at Pride Rock along with his whole pride- now the hyenas have them basically served on a plate! And even if he survives, he still doesn't stand a chance against __**my boy**__!"_

Just after he finished, Scar also accompanied his half-sibling.

-"_It'll be best for you to listen to him, brother_!" – he taunted sarcastically. – "_I think you would rather not see history repeat itself, wouldn't you? Cause I'm afraid everything looks as if Kovu will treat Simba similarly to what I had done to you… Hahaha…_"

Finally, even that righteous king's patience ran out.

-"_I'm warning you, Scar_!" – Mufasa roared from the other side of the assembly. – "_If you continue to tempt your stepson, you'll achieve nothing but bring him to his death! If he dares to show himself at Pride Rock my son will not restrain from teaching him a lesson, and if he does an even more stupid thing and goes to the hyenas- he'll end up __**exactly as you did**__! In the end you are both nothing but bastards and rogues, and just like you never were a lawful ruler, Kovu is also __**never going to be one**__!_"

-"_Once again you insult both my mate and my son_" – this time, Zira decided to speak her mind. – "_You can be sure that soon you'll regret not holding your tongue._"

-"_That's right_!" – Aquila screamed again with his deep voice of a Northerner. – "_Don't forget about our little advantage- the small detail that might tip the scales to your utter shock…"_

-"_Splinter! Splinter!_" – cried some of the other dark ones in a crazy euphoria. – "_Just wait till he enters the game!_"

-"_It's no use for you_!" – Mufasa attempted to answer, even though it was not possible to outshout the laughter of the damned. – "_Simba! Simba will be the victor!_"

_SIMBA! SIMBA!_

Shouted the Council of the Great Kings.

_SPLINTER! KOVU! SPLINTER! KOVU!_

Cried the dark spirits alternately.

For some time, there was chaos. Finally the chairman of the whole meeting decided that this was the limit.

_ENOUGH! SILENCE, ALL OF YOU! GO BACK TO YOUR EVERLASTING REST, WHETHER IT'S UPON THE PEACEFUL FIELDS OF HEAVEN OR IN THE BLAZING PITTS OF HELL. LET THE LIVING DECIDE THEIR OWN FATE._

And so the laughter silenced, but no-one really knew if there was still a chance that the time when the damned started to mock the righteous would not come again.

* * *

**AN: Ooh, naughty naughty XD. I wonder what happens next? Hmm, now who could this mysterious 'Splinter' guy be?**


	17. The Lone Survival

**Chapter 17 – The Lone Survival**

Scar was right. As awful as it sounded, it was the truth. Now Kovu understood that and also, just as Scar had predicted, now he clearly saw the path that stood before him. Even the confusing things he'd learned from Aquila had no great effect on him anymore and he knew well what he should do.

There was only one thing that he wasn't sure of yet, and the mystery filled his heart with hungry anticipation. The question was who was he going to meet in Scar's old den, what was exactly where he went just after he left Elkanah.

For a long time not even a single howl, snarl or grunt disturbed the calmness of the starry night. But Kovu had learned to listen to what his ancestors have been ensuring him of- that if he just had enough patience, he'd have everything he wanted to know revealed soon.

It came to him in the form of a strong scent upon the wind- a scent that was extremely alarming for a male lion, especially that it was unfamiliar to him. Well, at least it wasn't Simba, who was probably barricaded inside his rocky stronghold at the moment. As he hid among the rocks, Kovu sensed that he wasn't alone, and that the trespasser had probably also noticed his presence. Because the impostor had probably put a lot of effort into not being spotted, Kovu knew that he might as well prepare for a fight. Leaning carefully out from his hiding spot, he finally saw the strange lion as he stood in the moonlight, watching his surroundings with caution, distracted by the unknown smell of another male.

The trespasser was young, Kovu thought that he was probably about his own age. He was smaller than him though, bearing resemblance to the characteristic features of a Northerner with his slim built and very dark brown or maybe even black mane that was only brighter in the front, grey-beige just like the rest of his fur. He looked as if he was searching for something and Kovu wondered what was he even doing there, so dangerously near the lair of the ruler of these lands. It was almost obvious that he was a rogue without a pride of his own and therefore he risked a lot by coming here. So not wanting to wait forever, Kovu decided to ask.

The strange lion did not notice him when he came out from behind the corner, but as soon as he saw Kovu, he immediately stood as if preparing to pounce at him and lead out a warning growl.

-"_Okay, _calm down, Braveheart!" – Kovu spoke to him undisturbed, indicating that he didn't want to fight. – "I suppose I'm a rogue like you, so I guess I'm just as safe right under king Simba's nose. So who are ya?"

-"None of your business!" – the nomad snarled the words with a northern accent. It was as if something other than the presence of the second male was making him very nervous. And also aggressive, too. – "Get out of here! Go on! _Move_!"

Kovu gave him a startled look, not sure why the obviously weaker opponent still insisted on acting with hostility. But before he was even able to ask, the rogue attacked.

-"_Whoa_! What the…?" – although remembering what his father had told him he didn't want to hurt the Northerner, Kovu had to protect himself. Backing off, he prepared to dodge the pouncing, sharp-clawed animal, and then…

He didn't have to.

Everything happened in less then a second. Kovu was already seeing the rogue's bared fangs right in front of his face and was about to strike him, when suddenly something very big and very fast seemed to have… collided into the attacker's side, making him stumble to the ground with an angry groan. Two bodies tumbled around a few times before Kovu was able to observe the rogue getting pinned to the ground by…

-"_Vitani_!" – he screamed at his sister as soon as he was able to snap out of the shock. He'd thought that she was stranded at Pride Rock along with the other lionesses… but then again, he should have suspected that she would try to sneak out. Only why did she do that?

Vitani didn't pay any attention to his voice, somehow. Strangely, she was more occupied with yelling at the Northerner, what sounded a lot like she _knew_ him for some reason…

-"Whaddya think you're doin'?" – she growled straight into the rogue's frightened face. – "What were ya tryin' ta do, _hurt_ 'em? Don't even think 'bout doin' that ever again, you hear me?"

Kovu gazed at the two and felt stupefied. If the rogue was an enemy, why didn't Vitani fight him? And why did he let her scream at him at all? The way the Northerner answered made him even more confused.

-"Okay, okay already!" – he moaned conciliatory. – "I didn't know! Would you be so good to let me go now, _please_?"

And so the lioness did. Making a frown of uncertainty appear on her brother's face, Vitani took her paws off the rogue's chest and allowed him to stand up. Then she looked ad Kovu and snorted, sounding very disappointed.

-"_Hmf_! Nice work, you guys. Thanks for makin' me lose my temper. So much for the pretty evening, I s'ppose…"

Then her and the Northerner shared a mutual gaze of apology and longing. That was enough for Kovu.

-"Wait a minute! Do you mind telling me what did I miss when I was away?" – he demanded. Totally shocked, he observed as the strange lion came up to his sister and fawned over the side of her neck. And she let him do that without gouging out his eyes!

-"Yes, dear" – he purred. – "I also await knowing with whom I had just almost started a fight. So I suppose this is some kind of acquaintance of yours?"

The lioness sighed, looking unusually awkward for herself.

-"This is _Kovu_, my unbearably unpredictable brother."

-"Oh, is that so?" – at once the Northerner became far calmer, smiling to hear the news. – "Well, I'm pleased to meet you. Sorry about my first hostility, you have to know that you were not exactly the sibling I was looking for tonight, _heh-heh_…"

Again he and Vitani started cuddling, and that did not make Kovu smile. He was starting to understand what he had just interrupted…

-"Okay" – he addressed his sister, emphasizing that he also expected some explanations. – "Now that you've told him about me, would you bother revealing to me who this guy is?"

Although he could already make out the answer himself looking as the two lions fawned over each other like a flee-infested wild dog over the bark of a tree, all of his doubts were dissolved by what Vitani said, smiling naughtily.

-"This is my mate."

-"They call me Splinter" – the rogue bowed his head politely. – "I came from up north."

Now Kovu knew everything. That was the big secret. As sudden as this meeting occurred, it was starting to become a pleasant one. He noticed the many old scratches and scars upon Splinter's body… So Aquila was actually right- there was a single lion who survived the hyena attack. The only living member of the Northern Pride.

Kovu gave Vitani a mischievous look.

-"Didn't Simba ban leaving Pride Rock without his authorization?"

-"Yeah, he did. So what? Let him rot, I don't care. I'm a free lioness, he can't keep me away from my own mate."

-"But, of course, he doesn't even know about his existence?"

-"'Course not! Don't you know he exiles everything that moves and has a mane?"

-"Ha! Yeah, I do know that. So… how long have you two been together?"

Vitani stabbed her mate in the side with her elbow, encouraging him to answer.

-"_Oof_! Uh, it's two months, right?"

-"Right. You're lucky to remember that!" – she grinned jokingly.

Kovu turned his head in disbelief. That was just Vitani being herself. She managed to keep her affair a secret even when she was still a leader of one of Simba's hunting parties!

-"So how are the things at Pride Rock?" – he asked after they made themselves a bit more comfortable to converse, Splinter lying on the ground right beside his mate and Kovu in front of them.

-"It became a real shit hole now" – Vitani looked as if she was relieved to finally be allowed to speak her mind. – "Simba's got everyone pretty much locked up, his most faithful groupies with Nala as their leader guarding the cave at all times. He only lets two or three lionesses go out ta hunt during the day, otherwise it's almost impossible ta even go get some fresh air. Well, impossible as long as you're not me… The king even told Zazu ta fly over the Elephant Graveyard and the old bird said the hyenas could attack at any time, almost wetting himself. This is why we gotta stay stranded in his 'stronghold', as Simba puts it. We've been peaceful and all, but I think that if I ask the others, they'd wanna leave as soon as possible. At least for the girls from _our_ part of the pride…"

-"And what about Kiara?" – Kovu interrupted her. Not without a slight feeling of guilt, he realized that he'd been so preoccupied with his own work that he'd almost forgot that he had a mate of his own…

-"Well she got pissed with Simba bad, but you know her- she always gets pissed at Simba…" – Vitani said. – "She's fine, I guess. But she misses you… a lot. Trust me, I can see that."

Her brother lowered his head for a while. Yes, it wasn't very good for him to leave Kiara alone like that… But then again, her life was at risk, and it wouldn't help if he was together with her now, not being able to provide her protection from the threat of a horrible death.

-"So whaddya planning?" – his sister asked him again, crushing Splinter's tail to the ground after he tried to tickle her face. – "_Stop that_, would ya? This is important business we're talkin' 'bout! Sorry. Anyway, if ya want, I can go back ta Pride Rock to mobilize the lionesses from our party. I guess they'll be more than happy ta overthrow Simba after he'd locked them up and exiled you again. Then we could just leave. All ya need ta tell me is when would ya wanna attack. Splinter can help ya, I s'ppose…"

-"Tani, wait a minute!" – Kovu interrupted her, laughing. – "Not so fast. We need to think this over. Remember what mother always said? Fighting requires preparations. We can't just barge in and _kill _Simba. And what about his females? I don't wanna fight them. Not even mentioning how the hell would I ever explain that to Kiara…"

Vitani sighed, irritated with the thought that the situation was indeed much more complicated.

-"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

Then her mate rolled over on his back and looked her in the eyes.

-"Oh darling, who're we going to fight? How many obstacles will we be made to overtake in order to spend at least a day together peacefully?"

-"There's still much to do, numbskull! It ain't that easy. We still have to deal with Simba, and also those damn hyenas…"

A mysterious shine appeared in Kovu's eye.

-"Right, the _hyenas_… Splinter!"

-"Huh?" – the lion turned his head to look at him after being called so suddenly.

-"You're a Northerner, right? From the so-called Northern Planes? A member of what was once known as the _Northern Pride_?"

Seeing Kovu smile, Splinter frowned and rose from the ground.

-"How did you know that?" – he asked curiously.

-"Heh-heh… Well, you see, that's exactly what I've been trying to find out lately… But let me start from the beginning. Tani, Splinter- hold on to your tails. Have I got a story for you…"

And so, making both his sister and her mate listen to him amazed, Kovu referred to them what he was able to find out from Elkanah and the ghosts he'd saw. Vitani was particularly interested in his meeting with their father whom she'd also never even knew, and Splinter was shocked to hear that they were in fact both Aquila's children. He said he died too early for him to remember so the young lion only lived under the rule of his two brothers, experiencing just how great bastards they were before the hyenas wiped them out along with the rest of his pride…

But Kovu also learned a few new facts. Splinter told him that after barely surviving, orphaned and left without a pride of his own, he wandered around living the life of a nomad until he reached the border of the Pridelands. There he met Vitani during one of her hunts, and even though she wanted to kill him at first, when the rogue helped her in bringing down a buffalo and after they had their first meal together, they started meeting regularly.

-"Okay, I'm really happy for ya" – Kovu said seeing that the rogue and his sister were starting to fall into a bit too romantic mood after hearing such a long story about ghosts, murder and love. – "… but please, can we start discussing how to save ourselves from a whole army of hyenas? Maybe then we'll be able to think about things like starting families of our own, but for now we have other problems."

Both of the lovers ceased gazing into each other's eyes and looked back at Kovu.

-"Oh, _uh_… yeah, that's right" – they stammered, woken up from a dreamy moment.

-"Okay, so listen up- Splinter, I need you to tell me all you know about the hyenas. How did they attack you, how do they behave during battle and also how do you think it would be possible to defeat them."

The rogue looked at him awkwardly and scratched his head.

-"Err, I really hate having to return to that night, but… Well, if this can lead to any form of avenging my pride, then I'm in. There isn't much I can tell you, really. It was all just a big shock to all of us. One thing I know is laying down to sleep along with my family, and the other- seeing them get ripped apart. First of all, the hyenas had clearly outnumbered my pride. And since a grown lion can take out at least three hyenas by himself, I'm judging there was about a hundred of them. So the element of surprise is one thing, the surpassing number of the enemy is another… I don't know how many of them are there left right now, but I'm judging that we killed at least a fifth, so I would say- I don't know, eighty? Maybe a bit more. So from what Vitani had told me I'm guessing that if your whole pride was to attack them by surprise, they might just stand a chance, only if you could manage to convince that ignorant king of yours to leave his cave and go to war…"

Suddenly, Splinter silenced when he heard Kovu laugh.

-"Heh-heh, you can count that one out. We'd really have to kill Simba to make 'em let his lionesses go, and that's also out of the question. Listen, I've been thinking… Is there some kind of a weakness in the hyenas that we could use? What else do you know about them?"

The rogue wondered as his mate and her brother gazed at him with expectation.

-"Hmm, I haven't really had much to do with those filthy beasts before they slaughtered my family… All I can remember is that they create large families, or clans, much like lion prides only that the females are the ones who possess the power within a pack. I mean, as long as someone can tell the difference between a hyena female and male, which is quite hard due to certain… anatomical features. But that's not important now. Most of the males are tough but quite stupid soldiers, ruled by the matriarchs who seem to have a little more brains. I'm guessing our enemy clan also has a top hyena bitch who commands her dim-witted underlings. And I also suppose that if someone could manage to put her out of her misery during a battle, the rest would be left without any leadership whatsoever, throwing their whole army into utter chaos. I can't say I know this for sure, but that's the best of what I've been able to think of…"

A wide grin appeared upon Kovu's face.

-"Splinter… you are a _genius_!" – he said, expressing his true joy. Then he stood up and faced both him and his sister, attracting their wondering glares as he was about to announce to them his own plan. And as he spoke, their eyes went wider and wider…

* * *

**AN: Well what do you know, Vitani had a little secret... I did the thing with giving her a mate in one of my former stories, but then again, it's not that unusual. I mean c'mon- why should she stay single all her life? Is it because of her rough character? As we say in Poland- every monster will find it's admirer. And the idea of pairing her with other females is also rediculous... Nuh-uh. Not likely with lions and deffinitely not likely with Disney characters.**

**So now can the three of them find a way to do something with the hyenas? What's Kovu's idea? Just wait and see.  
**


	18. The Great Preparations

**Chapter 18 – The Great Preparations**

Shenzi sat upon her throne of bones in the Elephant Graveyard and was very impatient. Truth be told, the hyena clans that she commanded were all set up for battle, but her initial plan was to wait a little longer and work up a proper strategy to do as much damage as possible during the attack at Pride Rock. Unfortunately, in these circumstances, she feared that there might not be enough time for that.

Carving another notch on a big tusk, she was trying to keep her thoughts together despite the irritating yelps of her bodyguards who were in fact her own offspring. Suddenly, she heard something and lifted her head.

-"Shut up!" – she ordered and the hyenas straightened to look towards the entrance to the matriarch's lair. There was someone talking to the guard that stood there. After a while, Shenzi was relieved to finally see the one for whom she'd been waiting.

-"C'mon, we ain't got time for courtesy!" – she encouraged Banzai and the pack of males that accompanied him to hurry. The hyena scouts looked a bit awkward to stand in front of their leader.

-"So?" – she asked after they bowed before her. – "What did ya find?"

-"_Eh_, well, to be frank witcha…" – Banzai stammered. – "W-we ain't found much. No lions. No tracks of lions… _Uh_, actually, I s'ppose all we found was nuthin'".

-"_Uhh_!" – sighed the matriarch with disappointment. – "I shoulda known. Well screw that, I ain't gonna take any risks. Go tell the clan to prepare. We attack at midnight."

-"Whut? Y-y'mean like, _tonight_?" – gasped the old male with surprise. Also the other hyenas looked at the matriarch curiously, and then they all grinned.

-"Yeah, you got a problem wit' dat, Banzai? We're ready. The lions _ain't_. And if we don't hurry- they'll _be prepared_."

-"Heh-heh! Now that sounds kinda familiar…"

-"Whaddya mean?"

-"Y'know! _Be prepared_!"

-"Yeah, right. A bad memory… Anyways, quit wastin' time. Go inform the packs. I'll speak to them myself after the sun goes down."

-"_Si, senorita_!"

* * *

It was so late at night that the first sunbeams could be seen lifting above the horizon when Kovu, Vitani and Splinter finished talking and decided to go to sleep. The pair of mates naturally went to look for a comfortable place together, leaving the young male at the entrance to Scar's old den. This is where he laid down, and this is where his dreams began, probably summoned by the atmosphere of the place and the spirits that still inhabited it.

The first dream was, as usually, a vision from the past. Kovu saw a brown-furred cub running through the savannah and at first he thought it to be himself, but then he remembered that he was brought up in the Outlands and there were no vast plains of green grass over there. Furthermore, the cub had short black hair on his head that was the start of what would later grow into a large, ebony mane. So Kovu wasn't seeing himself, but the long-dead lion that was once known as Taka- the bastard prince of the Pridelands.

It was actually quite peculiar to observe this lively, joyful cub, knowing what he would become in the future. But for now, Taka was venturing through the dense plant life in a wave of laughter, looking behind from time to time as if he was trying to run away and hide from someone.

-"Catch me if you can!" – he whispered in that foreign, northern accent of his which not even his father would ever consider suspicious…

It looked as if the whole thing took place somewhere near the border of the Pridelands, far away from Pride Rock- in areas that were normally off-limits for cubs. And little Taka was visibly enjoying to be breaking the rules. Running out from the bush, he entered a rocky terrain which he considered full of splendid hiding spots. So, with a great deal of vigor, he went to check them out one by one, looking behind a big boulder and later rushing to the other.

But then, suddenly, he halted. Sniffing the air around him, he frowned curiously and went into a stalking position.

-"That's funny. This doesn't smell like a lion…" – he said to himself. It looked like a perfect opportunity to test his hunting skills.

Feeling the scent getting stronger, Taka realized that there must be someone hidden behind one of the large rocks. So, as youthfully courageous as he was, he jumped up at it and then fell at his 'enemy' from above.

-"_RRAWR_!" – he attempted to grown, even though he wasn't really capable of emitting a really frightening sound due to his young age. But still, that did the job- the three strange, spotted animals that hid there yelped with terror and held each other when they saw a predator larger than them attacking so suddenly.

Taka grinned observing as they shivered. Not really did anyone show his so much respect earlier…

-"Well well, who do we have here? _Trespassers_ in my father's land, is it?" – he approached, having the three cornered by a stone wall. – "What kind of creatures are you anyway?"

-"We're h-hyenas!" – yelped the one with a few strands of hair jutting from above her forehead, seemingly a female. – "P-please, mister lion! We mean no harm… w-we're only pups…" – she grinned submissively.

_Mister lion… _Taka liked the sound of that, especially that we wasn't probably very much older than the three hyenas, only bigger, even in his scrawny form.

-"_Hmf_!" – he snorted haughtily, somewhat loosening his hostile demeanor. – "So what are you _hyenas_ doing here? Where are your parents?"

-"O-our parents went to get food for us!" – said the female.

-"Y-yeah!" – a male who looked a bit uncouth interrupted her. – "They're waitin' for the lions to finish their hunt so they can take their prey…"

-"Shut up, numbskull!" – she slapped him on the head to shut him up. The third hyena, an odd, 'abnormally' looking male, started to laugh uncontrollably…

-"_WAHAHA!_"

-"_Ey_! What I meant t'say is, to take the leftover _carrion_ after the lions finish eatin', that is.."

But Taka was already old enough to know that hyenas were thieves. And, frankly, he didn't care, as long as he got his share of the meat, which was always provided to him by his mother.

-"_Ehh_…" – the prince rolled his eyes, noticing that for once king Ahadi's stories proved to have any sense in them at all- truly, the hyenas _were _stupid. – "So what are your names? You do have _names_, don't you?"

Happy to see that the lion was not aggressive anymore, the trio stood in front of him without fear.

-"I'm Shenzi! Pleased to meet ya!" – said the female.

-"They call me Banzai" – said the one of the males who could talk.

-"_MUAHAHEE_!" – the third one chuckled, saluting clumsily and slobbering all over to Taka's disgust.

-"Uh, this is Ed" – Banzai explained putting his paw upon his friend's shoulder. – "He don't talk much…"

-"I see…" – Taka said, gazing at the three dirty creatures with a mixture of contempt and pride that they feared and admired him at the same time. If it wasn't so, he would have turned them in to the king who would undoubtedly find their parents and thrown them all out of the land. But for now, the prince decided to wait and observe.

-"Hey! What was that ya said 'bout your _father's land_?" – Shenzi asked looking greatly curious. Her two male friends also fixed their eyes at the grinning lion cub.

-"_Heh-heh_… Why yes, haven't you vagrants heard about the ruler of this kingdom? It is the mighty Ahadi, and I myself am his son."

The hyenas gasped as Taka stood before them proudly. They were afraid of any lion at all, let alone a _lion king_.

-"Dang, you must be one powerful cat!" – Banzai said.

The prince only laughed and ascended the boulder in one big leap to lie down on it and look at the pups as if from a tall throne.

-"Yes, I am!"

Then a sound so loud went echoing from the stone walls that it made Ed giggle again and fall to the ground, kicking the air.

-"Hey! It ain't funny! I bet you're as hungry as me!" – Banzai said with embarrassment, looking at his rumbling stomach. Taka noticed that his three companions looked a bit malnourished.

-"How long have you been waiting here?" – he asked curiously.

-"Well since about… sunrise" – Shenzi answered, shrugging.

-"_Puh_! Tough luck for you, then. It's good not to be a carrion eater. I've already eaten twice today."

Once again, the hyenas gazed at the lion with admiration. Ed started to salivate so intensively that he created a small puddle on the ground.

-"_Twice_?" – Shenzi and Banzai shared a look of amazement. – "We can't remember when was the last time we've had two meals in one day at all!"

But their complaints only made Taka continue to mock them.

-"Like I said- such is the fate of a carrion eater."

The hyenas started to consult. Shenzi, who was sort of a boss in the pack of pups, had an idea and the males noticed that. After showing them to come closer, she whispered something to them and they nodded. That made the prince observe them closely.

-"_Uh_, 'scuse me, mister lion…" – the female addressed him with an awkward smile. – "So you're a prince, right? _Uhm_, may we have the honor to know the name of king Ahadi's son?"

The lion understood immediately that she was up to something. For a while, he gazed at her ugly face considering if he even wanted to talk to the hyenas anymore… But since he treated this encounter like a game in which he was the one to set the rules, he decided to play along.

-"I am Taka. But what's it to you, hyena?"

Shenzi took a look at her two companions who were smiling pleadingly just like the female.

-"Well…" – she spoke, sounding a bit more confident. – "We were thinkin' that since you're so royal and all, you might want to… help us out of a tight spot? Ya see, we're all starvin' here. Our parents still have ta wait for you lions to finish your meal, and that might take some time…"

-"… a-and besides!" – Banzai broke into her monologue. – "They hardly ever bring more than a few leftover scraps. Just take a look at Ed- he's so skinny you can almost see right through'em!"

-"Oh, get to the point, will you!" – Taka was beginning to become bored.

-"Okay" – Shenzi decided to conclude the case. – "We were thinkin' if you'd be so good to… bring us some food, maybe?"

-"_Pleeease_!" – the hyenas begged in unison, trying to look as sweet as they could.

The prince gave them nothing but an offended look.

-"_Puh_! You must be joking. What am I, your babysitter?"

-"C'mon, man!" – Banzai yelped, falling to his knees. – "The older lions won't have anythin' against giving you some extra meat! My stomach's killing me! Please, we'll do anything…"

-"Enough of this!" – Taka uttered, rising. – "I've wasted too much time with you already…"

He wanted to go away, but then Shenzi snorted at him, what was a particularly bold thing to do.

-"_Hmf_! You no prince. A prince would have no trouble with gettin' at least an antelope's leg, or even a whole zebra!"

She was prepared for the attack that proceeded, but still the sight of Taka's sharp little fangs made a shiver go down her spine.

-"_Are you calling me a liar_?" – the lion growled at them, jumping down from his rock, making the hyenas flinch.

-"No! No no, what makes you think so?" – the three of them attempted to explain themselves, turning their heads rapidly. But then Taka stopped baring his teeth, smiled and started circling around them.

-"_Ha_! Very well then, you puny little pups. I'll prove to you who I really am. And after you've filled your stomachs with the goods I'll bring you… You will become my servants."

-"Oh, thank you!" – the hyenas breathed with relief. – "You're too kind! 'Course we'll be your servants. We'll do whatever ya want!"

-"Good" – Taka smiled. And then, with a whip of his tail, he was gone.

* * *

The big brown lioness was lying on her back, submerged in deep slumber. She was resting after a successful hunt- the slain, helf-eaten wildebeests were right there by her side, carefully guarded from carrion eaters before the pride would become hungry again.

Taka came out from beyond the grass, putting his little clawed paws down carefully as to sneak pass the animal that was more than two times larger than himself. But when he was already near the meat, he noticed to have failed. It was enough for queen Uru to feel his scent to wake up.

-"And where have you been hiding?" – she asked calmly from behind his back not even opening her eyes, making him stiffen.

-"_Erh_… mother!" – he turned to her, lowering his head. – "I-I didn't mean to ruin your rest… I noticed you stopped looking for me and I came back…"

-"Oh, I've looked for you long enough! Whatever hiding spot you chose this time, it was a good one!" – she smiled, showing him to come to her. Seeing that she wasn't mad, her son laughed joyfully and jumped at her chest.

–"Oh, you little rascal!" – the queen chuckled, turning to her side and cuddling him. – "Your father's been asking for you…"

Taka suddenly gazed at her with sadness in his emerald eyes that were just like hers, but she smiled to cheer him up, knowing what he feared.

-"Oh don't worry! I told him you're around. He went back to Pride Rock with Mufasa after they had dinner so we have the rest of the afternoon for ourselves."

Taka bared his little fangs.

-"Thanks, mom! But can I please go play? I promise I won't get lost. I'm sure you want to sleep a bit longer…"

-"Well look how crafty you are!" – she said, petting him on the head with her giant paw. – "Trying to run away again, _hm_? Okay, just don't be long. And stay away from the border! I told Ahadi there was no need for us to go this far today, but he thinks we should shift hunting grounds not to let the herds deteriorate. _Ehh_…"

The queen sighed, knowing that her son understands her. And also she understood his love for being independent, so even though she still had the natural motherly instinct to stay close to her cubs and spend as much time with them as possible, she let Taka wander off alone from time to time, knowing that he was a responsible lion and that even in his own kingdom the prince would be careful to not get into danger.

So the mother and son shared a smile of goodbye, but before he ran off, Taka was still able to snatch a big piece of meat from the wildebeest carcass, doing it so swiftly that Uru failed to catch him.

-"Hey! Where are you taking that?" – she asked, but the little lion was already far away.

* * *

-"Dinner is served!" – Taka grinned, throwing the meat to the cheering trio of hyenas. When they saw it, they didn't thank him. They didn't say anything at all, immediately falling into a hungry amok, laughing and drooling all over as if this was the happiest day in their miserable lives. The lion was shocked to observe the way they ate- without any manners whatsoever, throwing themselves at the scrap together like a… Like a…

Oh yes, that was it. Like a _pack of hyenas_.

For some reason, Taka wondered how it would look like if they caught some smaller animal, like a mongoose or a meercat… They would probably tear it apart within seconds, being as vicious as they were even despite their young age… That thought was strangely… _interesting_ for the prince.

-"Gee, thanks a bunch, Taka!" – Banzai gave him a smile of true gratitude, wagging his tail and still licking the leftover blood from his muzzle. –"Now we know you gotta be king Ahadi's son."

The three pups bowed their heads, acknowledging the prince's royalty. That was also the beginning of what would develop into a close alliance, similar to friendship at times, still not being true friendship judging by how it ended.

Taka laughed, observing his little minions, outcasts kind of like he himself would soon become, enjoying the thought that they had just pledged their loyalty to him. Now all he had to do was to think of a way to use that trio of servants…

-"_Taka! What are you doing here?_"

The angry voice behind his back made the prince's hair raise. Quickly he sprung to his feat, barely able to step aside out of the raging queen's way. His mother was clearly unsatisfied with his new acquaintances.

-"_You three_!" – the lioness growled, making Shenzi, Banzai and Ed quiver in horror that by far surpassed what they'd experienced when Taka surprised them. Actually, even her son rarely had the opportunity to see Uru that mad. – "You are lucky to be nothing but whelps! I bet your parents are also around here somewhere. I would recommend you to find them and tell them to _leave this land_!"

The hyenas shook like leaves on a tree, and when they saw the queen's gigantic, needle-sharp fangs, they ran away as fast as they could, leaving nothing but an echoing, frightened scream of three voices behind them.

The lioness was now alone with her son, who only gazed at the ground looking deeply embarrassed.

-"What were you doing with those hyenas, Taka?" – she asked a bit more calmer, but still very seriously.

-"I-it's not what you think… I didn't want to help them steal anything! They were afraid of me and considered that if they begged me, I might bring them something to eat. I'm sorry, but they looked so miserable…"

Uru thought about if for a while, looking at her son with an unsure expression.

-"Is that all?" – she asked finally.

-"Yes, really! I know how father hates them. I know I should have scared them away. But… I just thought that if I gave them something, they would really believe in the power I have over them!"

Surprisingly, those words made the queen laugh.

-"_Heh-heh_. I see you're going to be a great politician… Maybe even greater than Ahadi!"

Uru laid down on the ground, picked up her son and licked the top of his head, combing his black hair to the back. Taka sensed that she wasn't angry anymore. She wasn't like his father- she couldn't stay mad with him for long. That feeling caused the prince to cuddle up safely between her paws and look at her with a smile.

-"No, I'm not going to tell your father" – she ensured him of what he was wordlessly asking her. – "You can play with your hyena friends, if you like. Personally, their presence doesn't bother me at all- they hardly ever steal anything big and besides, scaring them away from our prey is good exercise for the huntresses. Just be careful with them- remember that firstly they are our enemies. They can never be befriended or trusted by a lion. All they can do is be our subordinates, so never let them feel that they have advantage over you. Understand?"

-"I understand, mother" – Taka answered calmly, not having a single doubt that what Uru said was perfectly true. Then he cuddled up her neck and the female enclosed him in a warm, motherly hug.

* * *

The vision he was witnessing in his mind made Kovu see a few things more clearly now. He was sure that the dream was an actual event from the past, sent by Scar or any other dark spirit to show him the right way to go.

But then something changed about the whole scene. Taka was still a cub, standing under a rocky wall, only that Uru had disappeared and the bright sky was covered by clouds and thick, black smoke. The little lion's face adopted an expression of shock and terror when he noticed flames shooting out all around him, blocking his way of escape, and strange shadows dancing on the rock, accompanied by a gruesome choir of laughs… Then the hyenas appeared again- the same trio as before, only that now they were all adults, much bigger than the young prince…

-"Here, kitty kitty!" – Banzai chuckled, a really hellish spark shining in his eye as he approached the cringing, helpless cub…

-"_Nooo!"_

The voice of Taka screamed, later turning into the voice of Scar, and the scene shifted again. This time, Kovu was seeing the vision of what seemed to be the moment of his brother death. Upon a tall dam of tree trunks there stood Simba, calm and motionless, the wind spreading his red mane. There was a dark lion ascending the dam with furious haste, lead by the lust to murder the king. And when he was almost at the top, one of the logs moved from under his paws, causing him to fall under an avalanche of heavy wooden branches.

-"_Nooo!"_

Another voice screamed, sounding like his own. A second lion ran up to the pile of wood, desperately attempting to find his fallen sibling, crushed and maimed…

And then Kovu noticed that this wasn't exactly the scene of Nuka's death. Surprisingly, it was his brother who was trying to uncover the body and when he did…

Kovu saw the twisted, bloody face of another dead lion.

Himself.

-"_Nooo!"_

* * *

This time, his own scream woke him up. Feeling his heart beating like a hammer, he noticed that it was already close to midday. That was only a dream. Now came the time for real action.

-"Vitani! Splinter!" – he called for his two companions. – "We're heading out!"

* * *

**AN: No, Kovu! The dreams are a warning! Nooo...!**

**Too late.  
**

**I just love cub Taka stories. Don't you? XD  
**


	19. The Second Alliance

**AN: Yes, I'm back!**

**Yeah, I know, I haven't published new chapters in ages… I'm sorry, it's just that this time is really significant in my life and I just didn't have time to write anything. But, of course, I'll sooner die than leave this story unfinished!**

**So we left Kovu in quite a crappy situation- not only did he find out that the hyenas have come back and seek revenge for what Zira had done to them, but he also got kicked out of Pride Rock by the distrustful king Simba **_**again**_**. So now all he has against Shenzi and her army is his sister Vitani, her new mate Splinter and his own intellect… Oh, and of course the help of the spirits from the past. **_**De Spirits, friend! Dey be everywhere**_**! XD**

**So here's how they start to put their plan in motion… finally.**

* * *

**Chapter 19 – The Second Alliance**

As she was walking along with her brother and mate, Vitani couldn't resist to gaze at both of them from time to time, trying to estimate whether any of them had the same mixed feelings about Kovu's plan as she did. But surprisingly, she couldn't sense anything like that in the two males' expression. For most of her life, she was taught to either give orders with the demand of absolute obedience, or to execute them without questioning. That was always the story with her mother- Vitani was to do what Zira told her, no matter how strong would her personal opposition be, and in cases of an emergency her brawn was to solve any unforeseen problems. There was only one occasion on which she would contradict to such a strategy…

Last night Vitani had dreamed about her mutiny against Zira, which ultimately lead to her mother's death. Right now, despite her doubts, she wasn't going to repeat that mutiny- Kovu had enough time to carefully meditate over what he was planning to do, and even though she still had her doubts, the lioness obediently followed her brother…

To the Elephant Graveyard.

-"If this worked once, we might as well be able to try it again" – Kovu encouraged his two companions as they were standing behind a rock that marked the border between the lion kingdom and the dominion of the hyenas. Splinter nodded, apparently thrilled to be taking part in a scheme against his sworn enemy. Vitani, as always, kept her passionless composure.

-"I hope so. If not, we're dog meat" – she stated the obvious, rolling her eyes. Her brother smiled.

-"No sweat. Just let me do the talking. Remember what I told you?"

The couple nodded, bringing back what they've set up along with Kovu the night before. The boss of the whole operation took a swift gaze at the dark sky above this grim, unfriendly land.

-"Spirits, guide me…" – he whispered, afterwards stealthily leaning from behind the rock.

What Kovu saw was a group of hyena guards, five males who were significantly aroused, somehow. Straining his ears, the lion was able to hear what their conversation was about.

-"I'm bored. How long do we still have ta lie 'round here?" – said a young hyena sitting in front of one of his comrades.

-"Didn'cha hear what Shenzi said?" – answered the second guard. – "We attack at midnight, after she instructs the whole pack. For now, we gotta wait and watch the borders."

-"_Aww_, but there's nuthin' to do here! I already can't wait for the battle. I wanna see the lions _die_!" – moaned the young male, making the rest of the squad laugh.

-"_Hehe_, yeah, you bet!" – said an older hyena, seemingly one of a higher rank. – "It'll be just like in the Northern Planes… Only that there's more food over here!"

Another wave of chuckles followed. The young guard laid down on the ground, stretched and yawned widely.

-"Yeah, and that's what makes the wait so hard! Damn, I wish there was somethin' ta kill the time with…" – he scratched his side with a hind leg. – "Hey, Banzai!"

-"_Huh_?" – the head scout turned towards him, abandoning his guard duty for a moment.

-"Did ya hear the one about big cats and cards?"

-"_Heh_, no. Tell it t'me."

-"Well here's a question for ya- why shouldn't you ever play cards with big cats?"

Banzai made a totally stupefied expression.

-"_Err_… 'couse, _uhm_… Hell, I dunno. Beats me. Why _shouldn't_ you play cards with big cats?"

The young hyena waited a while before speaking to intensify the effect.

-"Because they're _cheetahs._"

The answer to the question occurred quite surprising, mostly because it did not come from any of the guards. And also because of that, Banzai did not consider it to be very funny.

-"What the…?" – he gasped, turning around towards where the voice came from. And then a shiver went down his spine, as three lions appeared from behind the rocks.

-"Now this has got to be the oldest joke in the Pridelands" – said the big male with a dark, brown mane.

The other guards instantaneously sprung up and growled viciously, but soon the fact that they had no real chance against the felines in open combat came to their minds. Banzai was probably the one who was most conscious of that, as he just stood with a gaping mouth, petrified. He didn't even move when the three extremely dangerous trespassers roared to give the hyenas a clear signal not to try to do anything stupid. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the old male gasped as if he'd been holding his breath for about an hour. He was gazing at Kovu, and his eyes were as wide as grapes.

-"_Oooh_… my poor heart…" – Banzai uttered with a trembling voice, grabbing his chest. – "So it really is you…"

-"_Me_? What do you mean?" – asked the lion, sort of startled with the reaction they caused.

-"You're S-s-scar, aren't you? You came to take your revenge…"

The hyenas started shaking, but the lions looked at each other and laughed. _These clowns think Kovu is Scar? Ah, whatever- let them think so _– they all thought, sending each other a communicative smile, considering that might serve their cause.

-"Okay, you filthy scumbags" – the lion spoke again with a demanding tone. – "Right now you have two possibilities. And if you're too frightened to name them, let me do that for you- _either_ you obediently and peacefully lead us straight to your leader… _or _you can also fulfill your duty as guards and try to scare the three of us away…" – at those words Vitani and Splinter bared two sets of their sharp fangs for the hyenas – "… but I'm afraid that in these conditions not one of you would make it out _alive_. So? We're _waiting_!"

Finally, Banzai took his eyes off Kovu's scar and looked at his comrades. But since they were probably just as scared as he was, the head scout quickly rose from the ground, submissively turning around towards the Elephant Graveyard.

-"F-follow me…" – he stammered, barely able to move his paws.

Now that was probably the most unusual sight that land has seen ever since it became home for hyenas again. A long time ago, those ruthless, savage animals would meet there with their self-proclaimed leader, the evil lion mastermind Scar. But after his army turned against the tyrant, no lion was permitted to show himself there without the sure threat of being ripped to pieces on sight. Right now the many hyenas that dwelled in the Graveyard, as they were curiously sticking out there heads from inside their little lairs behind rocks and large heaps of elephant bones, beheld a strangest possible procession of five of their own kind leading not one, but three lions straight into the very heart of their dominion. Some growled and boiled with anger at that sight, others only watched it in amazement, yet none of them took any acts before there would be a clear order from the matriarch.

The lions walked proudly, not a sign of emotion showing on their serious faces. They had previously determined between themselves that it should be like this. It their situation, the smallest sign of hesitation could make them end up in someone's stomach. Kovu walked in front, with Vitani and Splinter right at his tail. Trying hard to control his own emotions, he was able to pick up the mates' whispers that indicated that they felt pretty unstable on the inside.

-"I can feel my heart beating like a drum…" – said the male, turning his voice down as much as he could.

-"Yeah. Same here" – answered the female.

The walk seemed to go on forever, but finally the lions saw something that looked like the end of it- a giant ribcage at the end of the dead valley that surrounded a large lair like the walls of a palace. Not saying a word, Banzai lead them inside pass the guards that gazed at them with sheer hatred, ready to attack at any time.

Kovu, Vitani and Splinter saw the hyena matriarch for the first time- that fat, old, revolting beast that commanded almost a hundred vicious soldiers of the same kind as herself- an army that above all hated lions, and above all valued the taste of their flesh. And as soon as she saw them, that hate became clearly visible in her blood-shot, yellow eyes.

She did not speak to them at first. No, first she had a word for her head scout- the male as old as she was, yet far less gifted with the light of reason. There was no anger in what she said, really, but the very gravity of the matriarch's words made Banzai want to disappear from the world as he cringed in the darkest corner of the lair along with the four other guards- the culprits of this disaster.

-"You've done it this time, Banzai. I gotta hand it to ya- of all the stupid things I have ever seen in my life, this one is by far the stupidest."


	20. The Second Alliance II

**AN: Continuation of the earlier chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 20 – The Second Alliance II**

The atmosphere was so dense that for a second everyone held their breath. Both the three lions and the countless hyenas that have now gathered in a crowd all round Shenzi's lair awaited the reaction of the furious matriarch. Having everyone's eyes piercing her, the first thing she did was to cover her face with a paw, as if in utter disappointment.

-"Man, who do I have to work with…" – she mumbled to herself, shaking her head. Afterwards, what was quite surprising, Shenzi smiled- laughing at the irony of the situation, seeing that one of her generals had brought her greatest enemies straight to her house. But then again, in her own opinion, she was sure that the joke was on the lions. Giggling hysterically, she uncovered her face and waved her paw at her troops, expressing the most obvious of orders she could give.

-"Kill'em. Kill'em all!"

And then everything around, until now static and vigilant, suddenly shook. For a mere second every hyena that stood close enough to hear their leader speak, and there were dozens, seemed to be charging at the three lions with bared fangs, growling and howling from the top of their voices. But the feline strangers did not just sit there as well. Vitani and Splinter confronted the first line of guards looking as dangerously lions could look, making them hesitate, even though another wave of hyenas was right there to attack them from the rear. Kovu, however… took the advantage of the moment, using it perfectly. Namely, he charged at the matriarch herself, moving faster than any hyena could react. In a flash, he had the frightened old female battered to the ground, quite shocked and quite afraid.

-"Maybe you might wanna _reconsider_ what you've just said?!" – he yelled her straight in the snout.

-"Whoah, _whoah_! Hold on there!" – she lifted her paw in the nick of time, almost feeling the lion's jaws tightening around her neck, making everyone stop. They looked each other in the eyes and stood like that for a moment, trying to determine what the other side was thinking. Once again, everyone around held their breath.

-"What the hell are you doin' here?" – asked Shenzi carefully and suspiciously.

-"We're not here to fight you, that's for sure" – Kovu answered after a while.

-"_Puh_! Figures! We'd have you ripped to pieces before you can say 'hakuna matata'!"

The hyenas backed up their matriarch's words with a storm of laughter. The lion had to wait for them to stop in order to respond.

-"You're probably right. But then again, you can be sure that I'm fast enough to kill you before that happens…"

Shenzi lifted her brow at him. True, he did have a point there…

-"So whaddya want?" – she repeated.

-"And what if I told you that we came here to help you?"

The hyena snorted.

-"_Hmf_! I wouldn't believe ya! How can a _Pridelander_ help _us_? As well as I see it, you three are spies- nothin' more!"

This time Kovu smiled delicately.

-"_Pridelanders_? And who said that we're Pridelanders?"

-"What? You ain't? Then who the hell are ya?"

-"No, wait. Don't get me wrong, hyena. Me and Vitani _used to_ be Pridelanders. But, unfortunately, since we've been exiled from our land, now we're not. And we want revenge on the one who exiled us."

Still gazing at Kovu carefully, Shenzi sat down on the rocky floor of her den.

-"Now that story stinks worse than Banzai over there. What proof do you have?"

-"As a matter of fact, we _do_ have something that could help you. A piece of useful info. That is, as far as you're willing to listen…"

-"Yeah, whatever, fire away. _Surprise_ me."

Kovu also sat and smiled, motioning Vitani and Splinter to come join him. Then he turned to the matriarch again.

-"You are planning an attack at Pride Rock, aren't you?"

Shenzi did not respond.

-"You are. I know you are. And what if I told you that me and my friends have left Pride Rock just recently? Soon enough to know that king Simba is also aware of your plan? And not only that- he'd known about it long enough to get prepared for your attack!"

This time the hyena's face changed a bit. A sort of frown covered it, indicating that the news changed her mood for the worse.

-"Damn. I soulda known. Since you're so helpful, tell me- how _did_ Simba find out?"

Kovu laughed.

-"Oh the king might be slow, but he has his spies, too. _Birds_, matriarch! He used birds- a unit that not even your horde could spot."

Shenzi felt troubled. She didn't know whether she should trust the strange group of rogues or not. Once she'd made a solemn resolve not to trust another lion again in her life, but since the success of the upcoming battle and her personal status in the pack depended on it, she decided she wanted to know more.

-"Why're ya tellin' me this?"

-"As I said, we want to help you to get revenge on Simba for banishing us from the Pridelands."

-"And why, pray tell, did he banish you?"

-"It's simple, really. You see, I'm actually Simba's daughter's mate. After he found out about your upcoming attack, he ordered everyone to stay at Pride Rock. I wanted to take my mate and leave, so being as bossy and short-sighted as he is, Simba imprisoned his daughter and made me, his son-in-law, leave."

Shenzi listened to him with both interest and distaste.

-"Oh brother, so this is also some sorta weak love-story to some extent? Sheesh, give me a break… Okay. this explains your involvement, but what about _you two_?" – she turned towards the other lions present.

-"Simple" – Vitani spoke for herself. – "I'm his sister. I gotta watch'em so he doesn't do anything stupid."

-"Okay… and how 'bout you, Pink Panther?"

Splinter gazed at her, offended.

-"I'm _her_ mate! Wherever she goes, I go!" – he nearly spat the words.

-"_Puh_, lions! Always havin' family problems… So now I know why you're here, but I still wanna know another thing. How the hell are you plannin' ta help us? What do you have that we don't? We can wipe out the Pridelanders by ourselves, even if they know we're attackin'."

Kovu gave her a careful look.

-"Are you sure of that?"

He didn't get an answer other than an angry gaze, but he felt that he was gaining the advantage. Everything was going as planned- Kovu could also see that by the way his two friends were visibly becoming more and more confident. Now he had to reveal exactly what had to be done.

-"Tell you what, hyena. I'll reveal to you everything as soon as we get rid of this whole crowd that's watching us all the time" – Kovu looked around at all the curious hyenas that were sticking their heads out of practically every hiding spot all around.

-"You gotta be joking…" – Shenzi uttered, not very comfortable with the vision of being left with the lions alone.

-"Oh c'mon, think of the opportunity you have! And after all, if we wanted to kill you, we'd already done that. We have the same chance of getting out of here alive when we kill you alone as if we did it here and now, don't we?"

Shenzi had to meditate over such a diplomatic discourse. Somehow, the way Kovu spoke sounded strangely familiar to her… When she looked in his eyes, she knew exactly why Banzai got fooled mistaking him for Scar. It was as if her former enemy had come back to life in another body… On one side, she was afraid of that thought, but on the other there was something oddly convincing in the young lion's words.

-"Leave us alone" – she said finally, addressing her clanmembers. Mumbling between themselves, startled and irritated to be banned from witnessing the conversation, the hyenas left.

Now there was only Shenzi, Kovu, Vitani and Splinter present in the ribcage palace.

-"Speak" – said the matriarch, laying her big, old, tired body on the ground. Kovu was shaking with emotion, but he didn't let it show.

-"Let us lead your assault at Pride Rock."

-"'_Scuse me_?"

-"You heard what I said, matriarch. I know that you're the leader of your pack, and I'm not going to stand in your way on that. But what I also know is that once there was an alliance between our two species- an alliance that was the source of strength and mutual benefit…"

-"Ya must be jokin'! There's no way I'm gonna fall for _that_ again!"

-"Would ya listen to me? What do you have to lose? If we lead you, the odds will be on your side again. Think of the lower casualties that your army will suffer with three lions on their side! And besides…" – Kovu looked her straight in the eyes. – "… what do you do when you want to destroy an ant colony?"

Shenzi's face twisted. She considered all of this ridiculous.

-"Beats me. This is stupid…"

-"_Listen_ to me, hyena! I am asking you a simple question- what do you do when you want to destroy an ant colony?"

Hearing him raising his voice, she calmed down a bit.

-"You, uh… you kill the ant queen, I s'ppose…"

-"_Bingo_! Right answer. See- you're catching up! And what happens to the rest of the ants after that?"

-"They scatter."

-"Exactly! Now tell me, what are you hyenas really after? What's there in the Pridelands that makes you so desperate to take them over?"

-"Food" – she said plainly.

-"Right! And wouldn't it be great if the lions just _scattered_, leaving all of the food in the Pridelands for you hyenas?"

-"Oh I see where this is all goin'…"

-"Yeah? So tell me."

-"It's clear. You wanna kill the king. This way you can take over the pride along with your mate and become king yourself."

-"Riight…"

-"And you're plannin' ta use us to eliminate him so the lionesses won't rip you to shreds."

-"Riiight…"

-"And then, when the ant queen is down, you wanna leave Pride Rock and go find yourself another wonderland to live in."

-"Bullseye! I see you've done your homework!"

-"Okay. There's just one thing I really don't understand."

-"Fire away."

-"Why leave? Why don't you wanna stay at Pride Rock with us? I can hardly believe someone would make such a sacrifice…"

-"Well, that's true. But then again, if I _don't_ leave the Pridelands for you, you won't team up with us, right?"

-"Yup."

Kovu shrugged.

-"So we sorta don't have another choice. And besides…"

Vitani cut her brother off and finished the sentence for him.

-"… and besides- we really _hate_ hyenas!"

The lions looked at each other and started to laugh. Shenzi observed the scene as if she was looking at a bunch of idiots, but then again, all of that did make perfect sense. And after she though of it, she started to laugh herself.

-"_Heh-heh_… yeah, and I really hate lions, too…"

All four animals were laughing now. Together they created a deadly force, but to a longer extent they were unable to create a real union. The second lion-hyena alliance was to be only a temporary one from the very beginning. Only this way it had any chance of success.

-"So, do we have a deal?" – Kovu asked, stretching out his foreleg.

-"Yeah, what the hell. I must be crazy to break my own rules, but then again- all hyenas are a bit crazy" – answered the matriarch as she shook the lion's paw. – "Lead us to the king. We'll take care of'em."

-"Fine. Just don't tell anyone about this."

-"Don'worry. I won't. Say, what are your names, anyway? Seems you forgot ta introduce yourselves."

-"I'm Kovu. This is my sister Vitani and her mate Splinter."

-"Pleasure's all mine. I'm Shenzi, matriarch of the Elephant Graveyard, and soon-to-be matriarch of the Pridelands. You're right welcome, at least for now."

The agreement has been made. Not much time passed when all of the hyenas were informed of it, taking it with blind obedience to their leader. Soon the clan started preparing for the midnight attack, forming orderly units while singing their savage battlesongs, having Kovu and his companions inspecting them from a high ledge. Little did they know that such a scene had previously taken place-much how Kovu had dreamed not so long ago. All in all, the lions as well as the hyenas played the role in fulfilling their dark legacy perfectly.

Lions leading hyenas to fight against lions- that was a perfect sign of it as Kovu, Vitani and Splinter took their places at the head of the dark, chuckling column heading straight towards Pride Rock.

* * *

**AN: Well what do you know, Kovu really manager to talk the hyenas into teaming up with him, just as Scar once had! And also this time, the king of Pride Rock became their target… So is Simba really done for, or is it all just a part of Kovu's plan to somehow trick Shenzi and her clan, preventing any lion blood to be shed? We'll find that out soon enough.**


	21. The Only Way

**Chapter 21 – The Only Way**

It was the middle of the night when the terrified Zazu flew to Simba carrying a devastating report. The Pridelanders have spent many anxious days and nights waiting for this inevitable moment, but when it finally came, when their ruler appeared in front of them passing on the gruesome announcement, the lionesses still felt as if they weren't ready. Neither the time of peace nor Simba's chaotic, angry instructions could prepare them for the real battle that was now ahead of them. But since they had no other choice, the lionesses had to obey, standing in front of the entrance to the cave at Pride Rock in a compacted phalanx, prepared to protect their home to the last drop of blood.

Among the darkness of the night, the king saw twenty pairs of eyes looking at him with fear. There was nothing more he could say to encourage the lionesses. All he had to do now was to be there- to lead them, to fight side by side with them, and, if nothing else was left, also to die with them. He threw a quick look at the stars, whispering a silent prayer to the Old Kings whose guidance he now surely needed. The sky was so clear he thought that all of his ancestors have gathered in order to spectate the course of the upcoming battle… Then, with a face as undisturbed as a block of ice, Simba stood before his pride in the midst of which stood Nala, his mate, and Kiara, his daughter.

-"How many are there?" – he asked the queen.

-"It's… hard to tell from where we're standing, but we counted at least eighty or ninety hyenas" – the lioness gasped, the sadness of her voice showing the low morale of the rest of her pridesisters.

-"If there are eighty, we can win this. All we need is to stay confident and prevent the enemy from breaking through our resistance!"

Simba only repeated what he'd been saying to the lionesses for days now, and he could see it in their eyes that they knew their situation well. Yes, they would fight. Yes, not one of the huntresses would step back or cower, using the best of her skills to protect her family. The only thing that was killing them now, was the wait…

-"Soon we'll find out how many of those filthy beasts are stupid enough to stand against us!" – the king said partially to himself as he walked to the top of Pride Rock. From this spot he could normally see his whole kingdom- now engulfed in a sea of darkness. Yet his feline eyes provided him the ability to observe the incoming enemy clearly- a dense column of dark shapes that howled as frightfully as only hyenas could howl, marching towards his home like a parade of death. That sight sent shivers even down that old lion's spine.

Simba waited patiently for the hyenas to stand right at the base of Pride Rock, barely a few meters from where the lionesses stood. He took his position in the front line, gazing at the lights that flashed, reflected from the many eyes of the bloodthirsty animals that screamed for their blood. He wished that he could shield the ones of whom he was the ruler and protector from that glow of horror… Sadly, he was sure that the only thing he could do was to try to protect at least some of the members of his pride from death.

He was sure of that- that the battle was about to start. But facts sometimes do not follow the sure paths that someone marks for them. Suddenly, something among the hyena army moved, making some of the giggling monsters stand aside. When that lone animal, much larger than any hyena, started walking towards Pride Rock, Simba's heart shook with a sudden spasm…

-"Those eyes…" – gasped the king, gazing at the two poison-green lights that were closing in on him. It was a lion leading a pack of hyenas… A sight known to Simba from times long past, the more horrifying as it was repeating itself right in front of him.

No, it wasn't Scar. Scar was dead. The lion that stood before him was Kovu, yet right now he looked as if the spirit of his stepfather had taken over his soul.

-"This can't be happening…" – mumbled the king, lowering his head.

-"Kovu… _Kovu_!" – a voice came from behind his back- the voice of his daughter, longing so hard to see her returning mate that she almost forgot all about the battle. Simba turned around to put her back in her place immediately.

-"Not a movement! Not a _breath_ from you!" – he ordered, indicating that yet again his anger was getting the best of him. Seeing Kiara silence, he then turned back to his son-in-law.

-"_Traitor_! I will have you…" – he started, but since he didn't really have a clue about what was going on, Kovu interrupted him at once.

-"_Shut up_, Simba. You're very close to destroying everything with that big mouth of yours."

Looking offended as ever, the older lion silenced, letting the younger one continue.

-"Right now, the hyenas are partially under my command. If you don't do anything stupid, they won't attack. I know this sounds unlikely, but I managed to come to an agreement with them."

-"I can't believe you fell for the same stupid trick as Scar once had…" – Simba hissed, but his anger did not take much effect.

-"Well, right now you have a choice to make, king. Either you try to see what I was able to achieve, or you try your strength against the hyenas. I remind you that only _one_ of these possibilities gives you a chance that we're all gonna get out of this alive."

Kovu spoke calmly and strangely convincing. When Simba looked behind him, he could clearly see that the lionesses wanted him to listen to Kovu… But he still wasn't sure if he could trust the one he'd exiled twice. Of that he could never be sure.

-"Tell me what you have to say. I'll determine if it's in any ways useful."

The green-eyed lion knew that he couldn't hope to convince Simba at once. No, for that he needed special conditions.

-"Let's go inside the cave. I'm only asking for five minutes. You have my word that the hyenas will stay exactly where they stand."

The king wondered. He didn't trust Kovu, but he preferred speaking to him in private far more than having to face the fangs and claws of the clan.

-"Fine" – he uttered, turning his face from the mocking grins of the hyenas.

Going pass the lionesses that gazed upon him with a kind of hope, sharing a quick look of affection with his mate, Kovu went inside the domain of the rulers of Pride Rock. The king's advisors, Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa, sat there hiding, but as soon as he saw them, Kovu ordered them to leave before they were even able to say a word. And he was so convincing that even Simba failed to stop them as they ran away… Left alone, the lions considered the lair far more peaceful than what was going on outside- and both of them imagined it would be best if that peace took over this whole night.

-"I don't even know why I'm doing this…" – Simba whined, sitting down upon a stone platform.

-"Well, I know. You're doing this because you want to help your pride. That's the core duty of a king."

It was odd. Somehow, Kovu's words really sounded like he was eager to save both Pride Rock and even Simba himself.

-"I'm surprised that they didn't tear you apart. Even though I still think it's just a matter of time…"

-"I am not my stepfather, Simba. You know that. I wouldn't do anything to risk the pride, not while Kiara's still a part of it. I tried so hard to be a Pridelander myself… Shame you didn't let me. But now you just have to listen to me- I know what the hyenas want and there is only one way that peace can be preserved without bloodshed."

-"And you really suppose that you can control them?"

-"In these conditions, I'm willing to give it a try."

Simba still gazed at Kovu, suspicious about his confidence. The more suspicious because he remembered how that same kind of confidence got his uncle killed…

-"Just tell me what your plan is" – he said finally, unable to find a better solution. The younger lion stood up, almost begging him to do what he said.

-"We need to reestablish our alliance with the hyenas."

-"_What_? What do you mean _our_ alliance? It was never my alliance, nor my father's! What it was is nothing more that _Scar's_ dirty deal with those beasts!"

This time, Kovu's face got twisted with the first signs of anger.

-"Call it whatever ya want. It's the only way. If we give them food, they won't fight with us. If we don't… I suppose even _you_ know what happens then."

-"Over my dead body!" – Simba contradicted firmly. But Kovu was not going to submit today- not even to the king.

-"_That_… is a sort of a possibility" – he answered, straightening as if he wanted to express his militant attitude. Simba could barely believe his eyes.

-"So... you really _are _a traitor!" – he growled, standing up to confront his opponent.

-"I'm sure you think so, but all I'm doing is protecting your pride, especially Kiara. Even if I have to protect them from _you_."

-"You could have chosen to fight the hyenas. Why don't you do that?"

For a while, the young lion was piercing Simba with the stare of his green eyes.

-"Because you're showing me that the greatest danger for the Pridelands is… _you yourself_."

Now it became obvious that the duel could not be prevented. The two lions both had the same goal- to save their pride from extinction. Unfortunately, since they both had drastically different opinions about how to obtain that goal, everything resolve to a primal, ancient rule- the battle for power.

Simba was the first one to attack. His every motion showed clearly that he wanted nothing else than Kovu's death. His opponent, however, did not engage him at first, rather trying to dodge the king's blows.

-"Why are you doing this? What is this good for? What other reasonable choice do we have?" – yelled the younger lion, agilely jumping away from the charging monarch. But that only made Simba more and more blinded with rage. Finally, infuriated enough himself, Kovu also attacked.

The battle between the two was a farce. One of the fighters was two times older, not very skilled in the art of hunting, while the other one was in the prime of life and had been trained to kill from the day he could chew meat. So, naturally, it did not last very long.

But Kovu did not kill Simba. That was not his plan. He left him humiliated and severely injured, yet conscious and capable of walking, panting heavily as he gazed at the victor with endless disdain.

-"It's over" – Kovu spoke calmly, not even tired. – "All you can do now is leave."

The words made Simba frown with anger, blood dripping from his mouth…

-"I am _not_ going to abandon my land! Not _again_!"

Kovu answered slowly, looking him in the eyes, just as if he was explaining something to some particularly stubborn cub.

-"_You don't have another choice_!"

Still not giving up, Simba rose from the ground with a loud yelp, attempting to leave the cave and call for the lionesses. But Kovu stood right in his way, and when the king charged at him, he was brutally pushed away and fell to the ground, totally exhausted.

-"You are old, lion" – Kovu delivered the gruesome truth to him with an ice-cold tone. – "You know you can't handle this pride anymore. A new king is needed, and I guess you remember that despite all, I am still Scar's heir."

-"You are Scar reborn! But you will never be a true king!" – using the rest of his strength, Simba screamed as loud as he could, losing his breath. The young lion only shook his head.

-"You just never gave me the chance, so now I gotta use it myself. Don't worry- both Kiara and Nala will be safe. I promise."

Simba didn't say anything more. Even though he wanted to, he couldn't. He felt defeated, useless, of no service for both his pride and his ancestors anymore. He failed, and now he had to face the consequences for the good of the pride. He now understood that he made enough mistakes to know that perhaps this time Kovu was the one who actually had a chance of being right. Consenting with his own dethronement, he could almost hear Scar's words again in his head.

_Run away, Simba. Run away and never come back…_

And so he did. Kovu observed as the wounded old lion clumsily squeezed through the back entrance to the cave. As he observed him, though unwillingly, he let a delicate smile cover his face.

* * *

Simba barely walked, but even though he was now both physically and mentally crippled, he couldn't just lie at the side of the road and wait for death to come for him. After all, he _was_ the king of Pride Rock! Or, at least, _had been_…

_Who knows_? – he thought. _Maybe I can still return someday? Maybe everything will be okay for the pride? Maybe the hyenas won't lead to another famine under Kovu's rule? _He was trying to cheer himself up, but he didn't really believe that was possible.

Suddenly, something made him snap out of his meditations. He almost tripped over some large object that stood in his way, and only after a second was he able to recognize that it was actually… another lion.

_Vitani_.

Simba called her name, not sure if he was hallucinating or not. But there she was, right there in front of him, carrying that same, typical angry face of hers. She wasn't alone- by her side stood some strange male lion that was unfamiliar to him.

-"Who's this, Vitani? I was wondering where you had gone, but I rather considered that you went after your brother, not to find yourself a mate" – he spoke with highest effort, attempting to hide his wounds.

Vitani however did not respond. It was surprising for the former king, because for a time all she did was gaze at him with a kind of strange distaste.

-"Pity, Simba" – she said finally. – "And to think that I once though you aren't as useless as ya look…"

Now that was disturbing. The more that just afterwards, Vitani stood up and called for someone who seemed to have been hidden in the shadows all the time.

-"We found'em. He's yours."

The mates delivered Simba their farewell in the form of a disdainful silence and turned their backs at the fallen king. But he was not left alone. Now before the startled lion there stood a single hyena, old and wrinkled, unrecognizable to him at first, but gazing at him with a malicious grin as if she knew him very well…

-"Here kitty, kitty… Remember this?" – she pointed at her right cheek that had three parallel scars disfiguring it. Cuts made years ago by the claws of a lion cub. _His_ claws…

-"_Spirits help me_…" – gasped the old, wounded lion, feeling as fear took hold of his heart.

And then a horde of hyenas sprung at him from all around.

* * *

**AN: Oh, wait... Did Kovu just...:O Oh no, he really is Scar reborn!  
**

**Well, such an upbringing as he had just has to take certain effect. As we say in Poland- the apple does not fall far from the tree... But then again, not all of his plan is fully revealed!**


	22. The New Order

**Chapter 22 – The New Order**

Just before the break of dawn, when the first sunbeams flew inside the stone residence of the rulers of Pride Rock, Kovu was already awake. He'd spent the night preparing what was necessary to start a new chapter in the history of the kingdom. Such significant matters, ones that also concerned how all of his future life was going to look, demanded far greater sacrifices than a single night of sleep. And now came the time for another one of those sacrifices.

Shenzi had to wake up earlier than the rest of her clan, but since she'd been summoned by her ally who was now the new lion king, she came on time. As she parked her fatty old rump on the cave's floor right in front of Kovu, seeing how he carefully eyed her, passionless despite what happened just the night before, she immediately remembered a similar situation from a couple of years ago. And so, yet again, the matriarch of the hyena clan had to pay tribute to the king of Pride Rock.

-"I s'pose I oughta thank you…" – she snickered insidiously, almost admiring her associate's monstrous wit. – "Ya rilly did it, lion. We took the rock without breakin' a single claw. If it weren't for your plan to get back at Simba, I'd probably be mournin' a couple o' my dead clansmates right now."

Kovu listened, but did not show any emotion. He didn't want to make the hyena think that he was being at all flattered by her praise.

-"… but, then again, I'm sure ya remember the other part of our deal. No offence, but I'd rather stay away from someone as clever as you. Seems that hyenas and lions just weren't made to stay together for long, huh? You got no idea how that ol' mare Nala looked at us… You spoke to your females, didn't ya? So, when're ya planning to head out?"

The lion cleared his throat and skipped down from the rock he was sitting on, confronting Shenzi without any hostility at all.

-"First of all, I want to thank you myself. I mean, for trusting me. As well as I see it, things worked out for the advantage of both sides."

The matriarch waved her head, smiling. It looked as if she didn't do that very often and her wrinkled features twisted horribly.

-"No problem. Pleasure to make business witcha" – she said, shaking the lion's paw.

-"As for our relocation, I think this might take some time. Probably a few days before the lionesses get used to this idea. I can see it's hard for them, but then again they're also firmly taught to obey their king. I think we're gonna go somewhere to the south…"

-"And what 'bout Simba?" – Shenzi inquired, interrupting him. Kovu gazed at her, startled a bit.

-"What about'em?"

-"Ah, I was just being curious. What're ya gonna tell them happened?"

-"_Puh_, and what _can_ I tell them?" – snorted the lion. – "They're my pride. The truth, of course. I'll tell them that Simba _ran away_."

That answer, again spoken without a single feeling of hesitation, made the matriarch laugh.

-"_Heh-heh_, the master liar… Just like some other lion I used to know! _Hahaha_… Okay, enough o' this. I gotta go wake everyone up. They'll be hungry as hell after such a long night. The animals of the Pridelands better watch out, 'cause today hyenas are gonna feast!"

-"Be my guest on that" – said Kovu as he observed her walking towards the exit of the cave. – "Just don't get in the way of the huntresses for a few days and everything will be fine."

-"You bet!" – said Shenzi, still giggling in her hyenine style, turning around just before she left. – "You take care, lion. Hope you're a better king than…"

She didn't have the opportunity to mention Scar's cursed name. Enjoying her most sudden victory, the hyena matriarch failed to recognize a totally different plan that the young lion weaved, hiding it behind his supposed alliance with her clan. And when she noticed the strange way he was observing her as she walked away, it was already too late.

The black and orange scales of the venomous snake flashed for only a bit of a second before Shenzi's eyes. The reptile bit her fatally, and as she felt his poison flooding her veins and filling every inch of her body with death, all she could think of was how foolish she had been. And when she saw Kovu's grinning face as he stooped down to look her in the eyes, she knew it all.

-"You wanted to call the name of king Scar, didn't you? Well, you see, your friend wasn't far from the truth. I may not be Scar himself… but I _am_ his chosen heir. What you're experiencing now is what you deserve for betraying and killing my stepfather" – the lion whispered, draining pleasure from how the collapsed body of his foe started to shake with rage, still unable to even utter a word in her agony.

-"Thank you, hyena. Thank you for letting me make my revenge complete. Now all I gotta do is to grab your clan by the throat while they're still asleep. Cause you know what you do when you want to destroy an ant colony, don't you?"

Shenzi shook and groaned, unable to breathe, her eyes almost out of their orbits. And then, with a last gasp, her body stiffened and she was dead.

Kovu turned his eyes from the corpse, looking at Elkanah. The snake shaman said nothing, only bowed down before his master.

-"You_ are_ useful" – uttered the lion with admiration.

-"At your ssservice, sssire."

Not long afterwards, at a previously determined time, Vitani and Splinter came to the top of Pride Rock. The male, upon seeing the carcass of the hyena matriarch, spat with deep disgust.

-"May you rot, you filthy whore! That's what you get for killing off my family! Shame I didn't have the chance to rip you apart, just like we'll do with that pack of idiots you used to lead…"

As soon as he calmed down, Kovu turned towards Vitani.

-"How're thing looking?" – he asked, moving straight to the point, as time was short.

-"Well, it was tough, but I talked the lionesses into it somehow" – she delivered her report, automatically standing to attention. – "They agreed that if we attack by surprise, we'll be able to win if Simba leads the assault from one side, and you from the other."

The message made Kovu smile at once.

-"That was great work, 'Tani! And did ya tell them to wait for my signal when the matriarch is down?"

The lioness waved her head, also baring her fangs in impatient anticipation.

-"Yeah, I bet they're having their ears open for it as we speak."

-"Good! And what about the hyenas?"

-"All of'em sleeping like babies…"

-"_Hahaha_, perfect! I can already feel the taste of victory… Go and take your positions. Remember- today we don't take prisoners. I want this whole clan destroyed so they won't become a threat to us ever again. Got it?"

The lioness and her mate didn't even have to answer. All Kovu needed was the looks of their faces- their visible lust for blood and revenge…

Vitani and Splinter left to stand at the bottom of Pride Rock where they would be able to charge at the hyenas from the flank and later catch any of those who would attempt to escape from the battlefield. As for Kovu himself, taking a look down the hill, he saw the pack resting in oblivion, surrounded by vigilant huntresses who awaited his order. The ant colony without their queen that was about to be reduced to ash.

Seeing everything in it's place, Kovu roared as loud as he could, and his voice made the whole land shake.

* * *

**AN: There is more to Kovu's plan than meets the eye XD. Did you really think that he wanted to team up with the hyanas and then just leave? Oh no, Scar would not let it end this way. Now comes the time of revenge.**


	23. The New Order II

**AN: Hey there! Sorry for the delay, but I just got back from my vacation it **_**bella Italia**_**…**

**So I see that this story got a few very positive comments. I'm really thankful. I wonder what your thoughts are right now? Are the lions going to win? What'll be the result of Kovu's sneaky secret plan? And what in the world happened to Simba?**

**You're really close to find out, **_**cari amici**_**… XD**

* * *

**Chapter 23 – The New Order II**

The battle was vicious and bloody, but the results occurred pretty much as Kovu had predicted. The hyenas, taken by surprise and lacking a leader, were scattered immediately and unable to carry out a sufficient counter attack. With the pride rushing on them from the front and rear, breaking their pack into several groups in total panic, they lost their main advantage- the power that was hidden in their overreaching numbers. The ones that were conscious enough to fight back, seeing their clansmates get utterly killed by the skilled hunters, decided to fall back and try to regroup, but the following mess was so great that only a small unit actually managed to escape from Pride Rock, injured and frightened, leaving the rest to be doomed to destruction. Kovu sent a few of his lionesses to pursue them to as far as the Elephant Graveyard, where they too finally were hunted down. In the end, out of Shanzi's famous hyena army combined of a few allied packs, only a handful survived, fleeing in unknown directions to never show their ugly faces on lion land again. They have not been shown any mercy- just as they themselves had never shown it.

The sun was already setting and Kovu, though heavily exhausted, inspected his pride. Only Splinter and Vitani didn't look as if they were hurt much, rather arguing between themselves over which one of them killed more of the enemy before they were told to quiet down. The other lionesses were tired, many of them injured, taking their victory with moderate enthusiasm as it bore severe consequences. Two older huntresses had been killed… Fortunately, queen Nala was not among them, now holding her shocked, inexperienced daughter tightly in her embrace, piercing Kovu with some great burden showing in the look of her blue eyes…

The brown lion came up to his mate and mother-in-law, looking deeply concerned.

-"What's wrong, Nala? We've won. Everything worked out fine."

But they could not share his smile. They could not be consoled before they knew the answer to this one crucial question.

-"Kovu…" – the queen whispered sadly. – "I don't see Simba anywhere. He should be back by now. Kiara and I are worried…"

Before the attack Vitani had told Nala that Simba agreed to leave Pride Rock in order to fool Shenzi that he was giving up his throne to Kovu. Then he would secretly team up with her and Splinter to carry out the rear assault, returning after the hyenas would be defeated. But unfortunately he still wasn't anywhere to be found…

Kovu looked around, then went to the edge of Pride Rock.

-"I can't see him anywhere. Vitani, when did you get separated?"

His sister reported everything with military precision.

-"We fought together at the base of the rock until some of the hyenas started moving back. Since we weren't able to stop all of'em, Simba ordered us to stay and decided to join the group of pursuers."

-"That's odd…" – said one of the former Outlander lionesses, who was part of the team that chased the enemy to the Elephant Graveyard. – "I don't remember seeing the king anywhere. He must have moved out on his own, but didn't catch up with us."

Everybody looked at each other, whispering between themselves.

-"Hey! Listen up!" – Kovu focused their attention. – "I know that you're all tired, but we need to find the king. He probably didn't go far. Since we know he left towards the Graveyard, I'm guessing we should take that direction. Who's with me?"

Of course, all of the pride was eager to find their leader, especially Nala and Kiara. The queen lead the lions personally, the desperate search for her mate's scent giving her a lot of new vigor. Kovu was right behind her, walking beside Kiara, trying to cheer her up assuring that Simba would definitely be found soon.

But he was not. The lionesses searched the dark valley of bones for hours, almost until the middle of the night, yet found nothing except for the bodies of dead hyenas. When everyone had almost given up hope and wanted to go back to Pride Rock to find out if the king hadn't returned from another direction, a horrible howl lifted up above the canyon. Their hearts frozen, the pride ran straight towards the side of a large stone ledge, on the bottom of which they saw a sight that made the taste of victory turn to bitter ash for all of them…

Under the rocky wall there laid three maimed carcasses- the first one of an unnamed hyena, the second of Shenzi's general and main scout, the male called Banzai, and right beside him, the dead body of the one who had killed both, yet was unable to leave with his life…

King Simba- cold and dead, with his magnificent red main stained with blood from too many wounds, indicating that the cause of his death was severe bloodloss.

They came too late. Their leader was down, rejoined with his father and all of the Old Kings of the past.

A new woeful lament filled the air. Kovu allowed Kiara to go and mourn her father along with everyone else, standing aside, gazing at the ground passionlessly. He did not feel in the least bad. On the contrary- he thought that he'd only done what he was destined to do.

After a few minutes, his sister turned away from the mourners and came to him. At once he could notice as she dropped her staged sadness, sending him secretly a malicious grin.

-"You are the master liar…" – she whispered, making him smile inwardly himself.

-"Thanks for your help. I suppose it wasn't easy for you and Splinter to drag that ol' piece of carrion all the way here…"

Vitani only laughed delicately.

-"No problem… _Your majesty_."

True, he was the king now. Technically. The former one has been erased. All Kovu needed to do now was to announce the news to his pride. He thought that it would be hard for them to take… but then again, he _was_ the princess' mate and the oldest male in the pride… Unlucky for him, Simba had failed to carry out his plan and left no male heir to replace him…

Suddenly, some strange unrest appeared among the weeping lionesses. Nala just couldn't take it anymore. It seemed that she felt badly and walked away with a few others in order to hide behind a rock and rest for a while. Well, she needed that. If there was anyone Kovu felt sorry for right now, it was his mate and her mother.

-"Go check if she's okay" – he said to Vitani, who took the order with a bored snort.

-"_Hmf_, _okay_… Nala definitely isn't _okay_…"

As soon as she went behind the rock where the queen was lying, the unrest among the females became even more serious, and most of them abandoned Simba's body to go see what was wrong with her. Kovu was filled with curiosity, and when he saw Vitani's expression as she came back to him, he became really concerned.

-"Man, can you feel lucky today…" – his sister spoke to him sarcastically. Still, that sarcasm was visibly unpleasant to her- actually, the lioness looked pretty depressed.

-"What's going on over there?" – Kovu inquired with surprise.

-"Nala was, _uh_…"

-"_Speak_ Vitani! Right now! Tell me what happened!"

His sister pierced him with an ice-cold look that almost made him shiver. And not without a reason.

-"Nala has just miscarried."

-"_What_?"

-"You heard what I said. She was pregnant with Simba's cub, but the stress of the battle and the loss of her mate were just too much for her. Are ya _satisfied_?"

Kovu did not know what to say. A thick, overwhelming darkness filled his heart and he couldn't tell whether he felt good or bad anymore.

-"I didn't know that…" – he mumbled, frowning.

-"_Nobody_ knew that!" – Vitani hissed. – "Nala was hiding her pregnancy even from Simba himself, knowing that he wouldn't let her fight for her pride if he knew. Stubborn old lioness… She got what she wanted."

The female lead out a deep sigh, but not seeing any reaction of her brother's, she started to walk away.

-"So there's no one in your way to the throne anymore, Kovu. See ya 'round, I gotta go tell Splinter. I just wish for this whole damn night to end…"

* * *

**AN: Oh man, it looks like Kovu really became a worthy successor of his half-uncle step-father… I mean, Scar, of course. He fooled practically everyone. He fooled Shenzi and the hyenas into thinking that he was their ally. He fooled Simba to thinking that he wasn't going to kill him. He fooled the lionesses to thinking that he really didn't kill him, but thar the hyenas had. A flawless victory? Not exactly. Actually, Kovu even fooled himself- he'd thought that his tricky calculations were going to lead him straight to the throne with a clear conscience. But what he didn't know was that Nala was pregnant. He didn't want her to loose her cub, but in the end he became responsible for that. Now he has to face something he'd forgotten all about- his conscience.**

**So is this the end of the story? Hmm, I don't know myself. You tell me if you have any theories as to what happens now. I suppose we still should see what the Old Kings think about this, no?**


	24. The Long Epilogue

**Chapter 24 – The Long Epilogue**

* * *

This was something totally out of his experience. Until now, all he knew were the bright days and peaceful nights he spent living in the savannah. Presently it was nothing but the mist and shadow of an unknown, frightening void.

Not long ago, in the midst of silent sobs and heads hung down in sorrow, Kovu ascended the throne of the Pridelands. As far as his memory could reach, he remembered it wasn't easy at first, but still the orphaned lionesses turned to him as a source of hope and consolation. Even the devastated Nala… The war had been won and became a relict of the past. Now came the time of rebuilding what had been destroyed and healing the wounds. And it had been so, for a time. Then, suddenly, because of one short, surprising situation in the darkness of the night…

Kovu found himself where he'd already been- in the land of the dead.

He couldn't really "see" or "hear" anything anymore, as this place was beyond time and space. An immaterial realm, unfamiliar, causing him to shiver whenever he thought about why could he ever be here. He tried to call for help- but there was no answer. He was alone with his insecurity until the ones that wanted to see him, came to him.

He felt their presence more than he saw them. The very essence of their being appearing in front of him suddenly- three shadows of ones he knew, still being very surprised with their coming.

His father was there- Aquila of the Northern Planes, and surprisingly, also the very one who killed him- Zira, Kovu's mother. Alongside, there stood her beloved mate, the infamous king Scar, the young lion's stepfather and predecessor.

They were the most unlikely group. It filled Kovu with limitless astonishment to see them together, laughing, observing him as if they'd been expecting him.

Had the spirits of his ancestors summoned _him_ this time? He thought that at first, but just a moment later he felt that the matter was really far worse…

-"Where am I?" – he asked the question that was piercing his heart like a sting. The trio of dead lions ceased their jest and Scar stood in front of them, addressing him.

-"Oh I suppose you're smart enough to know that perfectly, Kovu. Go on, strain your mind and try to recall the last thing you remember before you found yourself in this place."

Doing just so, the young lion attempted to force his way through a dark cloud that covered his thoughts. And then he suddenly saw himself, waking up in the middle of the night and exiting the cave at Pride Rock silently because of a sound he heard. He thought that might have been Nala, weeping over the loss of her mate and cub. Wanting to console her, Kovu started searching for the source of the sound among the rocks, only to become suddenly and violently attacked by…

-"_Splinter_!" – he hissed the word feeling as rage filled him to the brim. The three specters before him chuckled, and Scar spoke again.

-"_Hmhmhm_, yes… If there is one thing a king must constantly look out for, it's treason. Especially from the ones he considers his allies…"

The lion was petrified. As he saw his memory of what had happened returning to him, he fully understood just how serious his present state was.

-"The bastard… he took me by surprise…" – he gasped. - "So that must mean…"

Scar grinned, not restraining from finishing the sentence for him.

-"… that you are _dead_. Yes, as awful as it may sound, it's true."

Kovu could not utter a word. He just shook inwardly, disgusted with the joy in his stepfather's voice.

-"Oh it's not all that bad. Don't feel ashamed- as you said, your brother-in-law took you by surprise. I know, at first it feels humiliating to have been assassinated… but you get used to it, eventually."

-"I don't see why this is so funny to you!" – Kovu finally lost his nerve, feeling furious for letting himself get tricked. If he only could, he'd tear Scar to shreds right now… but the already dead old lion just kept on laughing.

-"_Hmhm_, but please don't be mad at me. Even I couldn't prevent this from happening. And as for our merry mood… well, let me just say that we have our reasons to be happy despite all" – he looked at Zira and Aquila who stood beside him smiling with equal joy.

-"And what are those reasons?" – Kovu roared a second time.

-"Don't let your emotions get the best of you. We have all the time in the world over here. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the sure thought that your sacrifice wasn't at all fruitless. For one thing, I can say you can be happy that you were not left unavenged…"

Suddenly, Kovu started to see something. A vision of some blurred place he knew, and a lioness who was also familiar to him. As the scene became more and more clear, he could also feel it's rising tragedy and horror… What Kovu saw was the vision of his sister, sitting on the ground in shock, panting, covered with blood both her own and somebody else's, her eyes as wide as ever… Vitani was standing over the dead body of Splinter, her former mate and the assassin of her brother- the king of the Pridelands.

-"_NO_!" – Kovu screamed. – "How is this supposed to make me happy? This is going to drive her insane! She's just lost her whole family, and now she also had to kill the very one she'd once trusted!"

But the trio of dead lions only continued to laugh.

-"Don't worry about Vitani" – this time, Aquila took the voice. – "She's strong, you know her. She can take anything."

-"Not this time, father…" – Kovu mumbled, gazing at him with hate.

-"Nonsense, kid! I'm surprised that you're so concerned about her. Shouldn't you be more worried about your beloved _mate_?"

The youngest of the dead lions gasped. It was true. Now his dear queen was to be left a widow, in charge of a pride that lacked a king…

-"Kiara… what's with her?" – he inquired sorrowfully.

-"_Hmhm_, she's going to be mourning you for a long time, that's for sure!"

A new vision appeared in Kovu's mind. Yes, it was Kiara, caressing his own dead body, engulfed in an ocean of tears.

-"Why are you torturing me with this…" – his voice shook as he was close to breaking down himself. Aquila however still stayed enthusiastic.

-"Foolish kid! You don't know half of how lucky you are, nor half of how proud you made me. Your death doesn't bring you shame. You will be praised and respected for years… as well as your successors."

Kovu gazed at him again, pain and anger mixing inside him.

-"I don't _have_ any successors! Splinter's dead, his plan failed. Now the pride is probably gonna get taken over by some stupid rogue…"

His father laughed mysteriously.

-"Do you really think so? Do you really think Kiara would let some other bloke become her king? No, Kovu- the only one who's torturing you are your own black thoughts. As I said, you don't know half of what's happened. That's why I would want to thank you- for making me, just before your death, a happy _grandfather_ of the new king of the Pridelands."

In shock, Kovu marveled over the power his ancestors possessed- to show him hidden things that happened in the world of the living. Or were going to happen. He wasn't sure, but the next vision he saw was really a relief to him- an inexpressible joy when he saw Kiara again, consoled from the mourning after the death of her mate by the birth of their son.

-"This is… I don't know what to say!"

Truly, it was really hard to express how strange it was for Kovu to be so drastically struck by both tragic and happy news. All he could do was to keep silent, observing Scar, Zira and Aquila's amusement as the vision faded away and all he could see were just their grinning faces yet again. For some time they kept laughing, but since their young relative sensed there was more to that than just celebrating the fact that he did not abandon the world without leaving a successor, he neither did nor said anything. Finally, his mother became interested, deciding to add her voice to the conversation.

-"What's the matter? Don't you feel happy for what happened, Kovu? You have no idea how proud I am that, in the end, you did exactly what momma told you to do…"

-"Well, I am happy because of my son, but I would very much prefer if he had a chance to grow up _having a father_! And to tell you the truth, I'm starting to think that things would be different if I _haven't _listened to you!"

Unoffended by her son's angry resentment, Zira chuckled.

-"_Ha_, I see that death hasn't taken away your clever mind, my child! As a matter of fact, there is some truth in what you say…"

-"What?" – Kovu gazed at her, demanding an explanation. And so she did, revealing the dark spirits' plan in which he got himself entangled from the very beginning.

-"You see, the three of us who are present here before you advised you to take a certain path. And even though reluctantly at first, you followed it, surrendering your fate to what was destined for you to do- to following your dark legacy. Don't look so surprised! You knew perfectly that it was this way, you always knew. All of this lead to just two things, the very goals of your life that had been written down before you were even born."

Zira uttered the words just after Kovu named them himself in his mind, burdened with his own blind obedience to the fate he could have escaped, but chose otherwise.

-"You had to kill Simba, and you had to become the king of the Pridelands. To make you do that, we were forced to use all that was necessary. For this vengeance to take place, we had to make you hate Simba just like we hate him ourselves… and you have not failed us. Even though it took a lot of effort. Because, to tell you the truth, you didn't need to establish an alliance with the hyenas in order to trick them and make wiping them out easier. Teaming up with Simba and fighting against them would have been enough to save Pride Rock… but this way Simba would survive and you would never become the king."

Kovu's eyes went wide when he heard that.

-"You… lied to me!" – he screamed.

-"Oh no, not me" – Aquila mumbled to explain himself. – "Joining Simba was the first thing I advised you to do, remember?"

Now Kovu felt as his rage reappear inside him in a devastating new wave. Especially because he knew that he should really be mad with himself…

-"How could you fool me like this! What's Simba's death worth to you now, anyway? What's it worth to you that I was king for a few days, since now I'm dead myself?"

This time, Scar addressed him very seriously.

-"You see, we are nothing but sparks in the world, Kovu. We shine for a moment and then we fade away. Our duty is to use that short amount of time to complete our destiny. Some sparks might be destined to bring light. Others, like us and you, for instance, are made to cause fire. And so you did. You have avenged us- did something we could not do ourselves. Truly, we could not wish for more."

-"But what is left for me now? And what will become of my family?"

-"If you mean your son, I guess you have nothing to fear. Behold."

A new vision appeared before the eyes of the fallen young king. He saw his mate again, deeply asleep, aside Nala, Vitani and all the other lionesses, caressing her newborn cub in a tight embrace. But right there by her side was also someone else, closely observing her and especially her baby son.

Elkanah.

-"_No_!" – cried Kovu, already imagining how his son would be sentenced to a similar fate as his and Scar's. Now he understood everything- what a fool he'd been, failing to recognize the dark fate that overshadowed his life, or rather failing to escape from it when he had the chance, instead choosing to listen to the old ghosts and follow their ways straight into darkness.

Scar, Zira and Aquila started laughing again, their figures becoming blazing fire in front of their interlocutor's eyes. Their voice changed, becoming more a shriek of horror and madness than joy, and then they spoke simultaneously, creating a horrifying choir of judgment.

-"_You have brought this on yourself, Kovu. Now you must face the consequences. You are one of us, you have shown this by your acts. __**Your fate is not to shine. Your fate is to BURN! HAHAHAHA!**_"

Terrified, paralyzed, the lion saw his ancestors disappear from before him in a ball of fire.

And then he became blinded by light- light that came from all around, emitted by a multitude of luminous sources he wasn't able to recognize. Bright light he was afraid of, a kind of which he himself had little inside him. It was some time before he recognized to be surrounded by lions- ghosts, just like him, also dead long ago, but yet so very, frighteningly different.

He recognized some of the faces. Their presence made him scream and want to escape, but it was impossible. Once again, he saw the brown eyes of king Simba, his victim, standing right beside his famous father… There was no anger in both expressions. Only deep, overwhelming sorrow.

Kovu flinched, begging them to let him go, seeing one particularly luminous and ancient lion approach him and stand before him like a mountain that was about to fall on his head. When he halted, for a moment the assembly froze in silence, and Kovu was able to glance and ponder with awe over who he stood before. And then the lion spoke.

-"_**I am Kwanza, The First One. I am the bearer of Judgment and the keeper of Justice. To me is given retribution, and vengeance is mine. You, Kovu, son of Aquila and Zira, who have been called before the Council of the Great Leonine Kings- prepare to be judged.**_"

* * *

**AN: Aww, another bad ending! But hey, Kovu should have been more careful…**

**So this was actually a much longer version of the first fanfic I ever wrote, 'The darkness in me', which is still among my favorites. A meditation over what would happen if Kovu actually returned to Scar and Zira's path after almost breaking away from it at the end of TLK 2. I didn't do much but use the ideas already partially present in the movie- after all, Kovu does see Scar's face for a while, and it's not hard to imagine that it was actually his stepfather's ghost. Since Simba could see Mufasa's spirit, why can't there be evil ghosts as well?**

**Anyway, this was the concept. Did it work out well? In this case, judgment is yours, my friends. I hope you had a good time. I might publish some shorter stories in the future, but it's hard to tell since I'm probably going to be moving to Italy in about two weeks and I'll need to prepare.**

**So be well, Lion King fans! Remember to always follow the right path, so that after this short life ends, you'll become the ones who shine, not the ones who burn.**

_**Arrivederci! XD**_


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